-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 At work we use ClearCase version tree merge arrows to visually indicate what Fossil calls cherrypick and backout merges. For a cherrypick merge, we draw a merge arrow from the contributor version(s) to the new version. For a backout merge, we tend to draw a merge arrow from the version just before the contributor. For whole-branch merges, we draw from the last version of the contributing branch. Of course there is ambiguity, but the presence of merge arrows clearly indicates that a merge of some sort took place, and the check-in comment tells what is meant by them. This is very helpful for glancing at a tree and seeing which projects picked up bits and pieces of stuff from which other projects, where projects are represented by separate branches but otherwise sharing files.
Fossil doesn't quite operate this way. It has very easy merging, and it gives good visual indication of merging entire branches, but there's no visual for cherrypick and backout merges. The check-in comment can name the (positive or negative) contributor version(s), and those names are clickable links in the UI. But that's not quite enough, in my opinion. I want to see something in the timeline plot showing cherrypicks and backouts. Dotted, dashed, and/or colored lines might do the job. I also want to see the origins of cherrypicks and backouts listed in the family, ancestors, and both timeline links on the check-in info page. Let me make a request. If this feature is added to Fossil, I would like it to be possible to edit the cherrypick and backout merge arrows after the commit is complete, in the same way it's possible to edit tags. (Perhaps this could be implemented as special tags rather than as a new card type.) Many times while researching old code I've found engineers weren't always careful with documenting where they got code from, and I was glad I could add (or correct) merge arrows years after the fact so that we wouldn't have to repeat my research to determine the origins of everything. Knowing the genesis of every part of the code is quite helpful, for instance to find the original requirements, user desires, supporting documentation, test procedures, or responsible engineers. - -- Andy Goth | <andrew.m.goth/at/gmail/dot/com> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v2.0.22 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Thunderbird - http://www.enigmail.net/ iQEcBAEBAgAGBQJTvuk9AAoJELtYwrrr47Y4CKoIANdHjSArVKEZeYq4gx+iWZsV 5jrkam5E1hVGX/uIyIdY8+EwBDta77ZLbWEK99bNobD5U1bypX6tKCNclyTiOtWD sPut0KtwhKp2Xf4WjNJpmpAeRGo2j8hXVHBkamGH9Nj+2f8aJd+80O4fFCTResCs OLETnTkZFmDeEU78UyJ/fsTsskrlrG1fEaPnm3ZWP4Ae41k7MUNU6YQ3iTlrqHsm JS+x8gIAjcuslv+e/Ay24c1+1X54BH559fYHID7GTjXeeCwBdz0X8qL/NcLFF1sL LqQuS0/baHyZfXjSOTV++l7HZim2obmyZig8gv8IWEdtEqv5iWo2AuRAAjIwLYE= =oHLx -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- _______________________________________________ fossil-users mailing list fossil-users@lists.fossil-scm.org http://lists.fossil-scm.org:8080/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fossil-users
