Re: [VOTE] merge the log-message-templates branch to trunk

Stefan Sperling wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 15, 2014 at 10:25:42AM +0100, Julian Foad wrote:
>> I recommend we anticipate this now by defining a minimal syntax for
>> substitutions.
>
> Whatever we come up with now might not fit a future substitution feature.
> I'd say either we define the feature completely, or we leave it out.
>
> We don't have to define substition rules now. The path for that is always
> open during later iterations of the feature.

What I meant by a 'minimal' syntax is just enough  to be able to introduce a full syntax later without breaking backward compatibility. As an example of this I described how we could declare that the '$' character is special starting from now (and can be made non-special by, for example, doubling it), but not define what special syntax it might be used to introduce in the future.

The path for that is not always open during later iterations, as making some character or sequence of characters become special in the future would break old usages that assume the sequence is not special.

Does this not seem to you a simple and sensible preparation for expected future enhancements?

- Julian
Received on 2014-09-15 13:57:08 CEST