Bryan Tong Minh <[email protected]> writes:

>> The problem with our current VCS is the sort of work-flow that has
>> developed around it.
>
> Can you be a bit more specific? What problems are you implying? I
> think of some problems, but I don't know how they are consequences
> from our workflow and VCS.

The introduction and growth of various DVCS (especially git) over the
past few years has shown how a centralized VCS (like svn) ends up
affecting and even forming the workflow.

For example, we want to release only reviewed code, but we also want to
make development access (and commit bits) available to as many people as
possible.

As a result, we have code review, but it is peripheral to the process of
getting code committed to trunk.  So, when the time came to put 1.17
together, we had this huge mound of un-reviewed code that had to be
examined.

This workflow is different from a DVCS.  Take Linux, for example.  Linus
pulls code from several lieutenants.  Anyone can set up a branch of the
Linux source code and commit to it, but to get Linus to ship their code,
they have to get a lieutenant to review it and give it to Linus.

The workflow is different in that code review is an integral, not
peripheral, process.  As a bonus development access is available to
anyone willing to run “git clone”.

>> I think we need a few goals thrown in to make this really good — I
>> propose “1.18 will include a web UI for configuring MediaWiki” and “1.18
>> will cut the number of global variables in half” to pick two of my
>> personal favorites — but I think the work-flow of how MediaWiki is
>> prepared for release needs to be addressed.
>>
> Well, if you want 1.18 released before 2012... ;)

I was getting a little dreamy there.  One goal?  One SMALL goal?  A
CDB-based configuration database?  That way, work on a web UI could
happen outside of the trunk, but would still be usable and ready to
integrate after 1.19 was branched.

But, yes, I want to get 1.18 out by July.  If that means I have to be
satisfied with more prosaic goals like “getting code review working
better” and “keep 1.18 within a day or two's commits from trunk” (to
paraphrase Brion) then I'll be happy.

Mark.

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