Re: What do you Hate about Subversion?

Erik Hemdal wrote:
>
>> Duncan Murdoch wrote:
>>
>>> There are lots of tools to convert files.
>> There are lots of ways to keep unchanged copies of files.
>>
>> > I don't want svn to become
>>> one of those, except to the minimal extent possible.
>> The value of a revision control system is that it can show you the
>> changes between versions. If it thinks every line changed every time
>> you touch a file because you had to 'convert' with some other tool to
>> make normal text, you've reduced it to the equivalent of a
>> backup system.
>>
>
> But if a file is modified for line endings, then every line _did_ change.

No, the content of a text file does not change when the local
representation for text is used for it. That's why text is different
from binaries...

> If Subversion ever stops reporting every line change, please let me know so
> I can stop using it immediately.

Cross platform programs need to understand the different representations
  so they can tell you what changed and what didn't. Representation
changes are not content changes.

> The ability to track changes down to the smallest detail is very important.
> It's important if only by providing confidence that every byte in the file
> is demonstrably under version control. If I could find differences that
> Subversion chose to ignore, then I would have to ask what _else_ Subversion
> chose to ignore.

Cross-platform programs don't 'ignore' text representation changes, they
understand them.

> That's a question I should never have to ask of my version
> control system.

If you don't want useful cross platform text handling or don't
understand why it is needed, you can call all of your files binaries,
but that is not something generally useful in a heterogeneous environment.

-- 
   Les Mikesell
    lesmikesell@gmail.com
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