Re: [PATCH] Implement '--include-externals' option to 'svn list'

Hi Vijay,

I gave that patch a spin (after all I was the one who brought
--include-externals upon us), and found stuff. Using current trunk + your
patch v3.

BTW, I'm sorry to have to drag this patch submission out; countless times I
myself tried to just quickly fix a small externals quirk and it ended up
sticking to my fingers for weeks. Don't give up! ;)

There's a small thing and a more complex one.

(1) 'svn list' normally only lists the current dir level unless -R is
supplied. So --include-externals should actually only print the externals
dirnames, and step into them only with -R also supplied. Right?

That was the small thing.

(2)
I'm comparing
 svn list --include-externals
with
 svn list ./external-target-dir/

After removing and committing a file inside an external, there is a
difference between above invocations:

(test script also attached)
[[[
# prepare an external dir...
mkdir a
echo a > a/file
echo b > b
svn add a b
svn propset svn:externals "^/a x1" .
svn ci -mm
svn up

# remove a file and commit inside external dir
svn rm x1/file
svn ci -mm x1

svn list --include-externals
# a/
# b
# Listing external 'x1' defined on 'file:///tmp/trunk.qLP/repos':

svn list x1
# file

## ^ difference: 'list x1' still shows 'file'

# comparison: 'list' behavior when no external is involved
# a normal deleted file is still shown, until next update.
svn rm b
svn ci -mm
svn list
# a/
# b
]]]
(After the next update, all invocations don't show the deleted file anymore,
obviously.)

I expected 'list --include-externals' to act exactly like 'svn list x1/',
but there is a slight difference. I suspect that 'svn list x1/' takes
advantage of the WC at x1/ already present locally, and that 'svn list
--include-externals' goes directly to the repos URL. Is that right?
Maybe 'svn list --include-externals' should limit to listing strictly only
those externals currently checked out (unless the target itself is a URL).
I.e. if the target is a working copy, traverse the WC for checked out
externals and maybe even feed the local external WC paths as explicit
targets to svn_client_list3() or something ... ?

Good speed!
~Neels