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Re: Subversion 101: To lock or not to lock..

From: Andy Levy <andy.levy_at_gmail.com>
Date: 2006-06-09 02:16:59 CEST

On 6/8/06, L. Wayne Johnson <wayne@zk.com> wrote:
> >> "When editing an html or jsp file, it is often necessary to modify
> >> many parts of the file. If someone else is also editing the same
> >> file, merging the changes can be extremely time consuming, as it is
> >> hard for subversion to reconcile and display the diffs correctly (this
> >> is from experience). Locking provides a safeguard from having to
> >> endure the merge process but does not stop people from getting their
> >> job done, because you should never have two people working on the same
> >> html/jsp file at the same time."
> >>
> This statement does not make sense to me. On the one hand merging the file
> is too time consuming so you must lock it.

Locking most definitely can stop people from getting their job(s)
done. On my last major ASP project (using VSS), we had a directory
full of utility functions in include files - a couple dozen functions
sprinkled across about 8 files. At least a couple times a week, I had
to call over the wall to my partner "hey, are you using that file? If
not, can you please unlock it? I'm stopped until I can fix this
function."

What's even worse is when you have to tell the project manager on
Wednesday "I can't fix those 3 bugs this week because the guy on
vacation till Monday has those files locked, and if we have the admin
break the lock we'll have a hell of a time trying to get everything
merged and synced up again."

> On the other hand locking the file does not cause a problem because nobody else will be working on it.

In other words, why bother locking in the first place?

This sounds more like the developers don't want change, or are trying
to push the new SCM guy around.

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Received on Fri Jun 9 02:18:16 2006

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