[Zope3-dev] Re: [Zope-Checkins] CVS: Zope3/src/ZConfig/tests - test_schema.py:1.10.2.1

[Tres Seaver]

On Tue, 2003-02-11 at 09:41, Sidnei da Silva wrote:
> Update of /cvs-repository/Zope3/src/ZConfig/tests
> In directory cvs.zope.org:/tmp/cvs-serv18615/src/ZConfig/tests
> 
> Modified Files:
>       Tag: paris-copypasterename-branch
> 	test_schema.py 
> Log Message:
> Updating from HEAD to make sure everything still works before merging

I would like to lobby the zope-coders community for an explicit ban on
this practice, with the ban to be waived only in very exceptional cases.
"Back-merging" from the HEAD to your branch is a dubious practice at
best, even for branches which expect to outlive the merge by a
significant period of time:

  - The "backmerge" checkins create noise for those who review the
    checkins;  your backmerge created some 60+ totally spurious
    messages, followed by another 60+ two hours later as you merged
    them in together with the "real" changes.  I try hard to read
    the checkins for both the Zope and the Zope3 repositories, which
    I consider to be a significant contribution to the code quality
    under the rubric, "Given enough eyes, all bugs are shallow."  Huge
    checkins like these defeat that practice, as I can't find the
    "substantial".changes amid the noise.

  - The "backmerged" changes obscure the intent of the branch:  it is
    now impossible to use the CVS machinery to tell just what changed
    on the branch.

  - What you really wanted to do today was to get your sandbox
    to the HEAD, then merge your branch to it, taking only the
    "minimal" diffs on the branch.  You could've then tested and
    checked in on the head, and marked the branch as "retired".

  - Release branches, which do need to merge backported fixes, are
    a slight exception:  slight because the stability mandated by a
    release branch explicitly outlaws merging anything other than the
    smallest possible changes required to support the backport, and
    therefore won't lead to the problems.

This isn't intended as criticism of Sidnei's work, but a plea to change
our *consensus fidelium* away from the practice.


Tres.
-- 
===============================================================
Tres Seaver                                tseaver@zope.com
Zope Corporation      "Zope Dealers"       http://www.zope.com