[MonoDevelop] Search for parent changelogs

[Lluis Sanchez]

Hi,

The question here is where do you start looking for the "closest"
ChangeLog. For example, if I run Commit in the monodevelop/src/Core
directory, and I have changes in
monodevelop/src/Core/MonoDevelop.Projects and
monodevelop/src/Core/MonoDevelop.Ide, the changes in each assembly
should be logged in their corresponding ChangeLogs. That is, a single
commit operation might change several ChangeLog files at the same time.

If we want to improve the add-in, so it can automatically create
ChangeLogs, it has to be done in a way that doesn't force the user to
make a decision at every commit. The current behavior is very simple: if
the commit directory has a ChangeLog file, it will be updated. If there
isn't one, it shows a bold red message with a warning saying that no
ChangeLog entries will be written.

This behavior is clearly based on the commit policy we have in MD, on
which there is a single ChangeLog for each assembly, and commits should
be done independently for each assembly. In this context, creating a
ChangeLog file when none is found is not what we want. In MD, creating
new ChangeLog files is very uncommon, since it's only done when adding
new assemblies. So giving the choice of creating a ChangeLog at every
commit is not good.

The problem, of course, is that not all projects follows MD's commit
policy. For example, in the Mono libraries, every directory must have
its own ChangeLog file. So, in this project it *does* make sense to
create a ChangeLog file when none is found. For example, if I'm
committing a change in mcs/class/corlib/System, and there isn't a
ChangeLog there, the add-in should create a new one ChangeLog, even when
the parent directory 'corlib' does have a ChangeLog. That is, I
shouldn't even have the option of selecting the parent directory, since
it's against the project policy.

So, I think that the solution would be to add support for different
commit policies, and allow choosing the commit policy for every project.
Here are some policies we could support:

      * Create a ChangeLog in the project root directory, and in any
        subdirectory until N levels, where N would be a configurable
        value. For MonoDevelop, N would be 0. Other projects might want
        to have ChangeLogs only in the first level of subdirectories, so
        N would be 1, and so on.
      * Create a ChangeLog in every directory of the project. That would
        be Mono's policy.
      * Never automatically create ChangeLogs. Update only ChangeLogs
        which exist.
      * More ideas welcome.

So, after a policy is set for a project, the user doing a commit will
never have to make a choice. The add-in will be able to find the
ChangeLog or create it when necessary, following the configured policy.
When a suitable ChangeLog can't be found or created, the add-in can just
show a very visible warning message, like it does now.

Lluis. 

El ds 23 de 06 del 2007 a les 09:39 +0200, en/na Jacob Ilsø Christensen
va escriure:
> On 6/22/07, Jacob Ilsø Christensen <jacobilsoe at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 6/22/07, Marcos Marín <marcosmarin at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Re: [MonoDevelop] Search for parent changelogs
> > >
> > > The problem I see with this radio button approach is, what if there are n
> > > levels in the tree? for example
> > > MD_ROOT/Extras/BooBinding
> > >
> > > you might have a ChangeLog in MD_ROOT, Extras and BooBinding.
> >
> > Yes, my first approach just selects the "closest" ChangeLog.
> >
> > >
> > > What if instead there was a "Select ChangeLog" button and this would bring
> > > up a dialog with a List of ChangeLogs, one for each level in the tree, and a
> > > small (will be created) next to each that does not exist?
> >
> > Yes, this will indeed open up for more choices. So:
> >
> > A label and a button:
> >
> > The label will state what ChangeLog is currently chosen and will
> > default to the local one.
> > The button will bring up a dialog allowing the user to choose between
> > ChangeLogs (existing  and to be created) in each directory upwards.
> 
> Here are some new screenshots. The "Select ChangeLog" button will
> bring up a list of ChangeLogs, one for each directory upwards. Also
> one will be able to change the default behaviour from always
> using/creating the local one to using a parent ChangeLog if there is
> one.
> 
> Does this look better?
> 
> >
> > Also a per project/solution configuration could then define whether
> > the default ChangeLog should always be the local (existing or to be
> > created) or the closest existing one (if any).
> >
> > > Just my two cents.
> > >
> > >
> > > On 6/22/07, Jacob Ilsø Christensen <jacobilsoe at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Hi.
> > > >
> > > > Just to get some feedback I drafted up a quick GUI.
> > > >
> > > > I see three situations:
> > > >
> > > > * There is a local ChangeLog (local.png)
> > > > * There is no local ChangeLog but there is a parent ChangeLog
> > > > (nolocal_parent.png)
> > > > * There is neither a local ChangeLog nor a parent ChangeLog
> > > > (nolocal_noparent.png)
> > > >
> > > > A per project/solution configuration could then be used to decide the
> > > > default radio button.
> > > >
> > > > Does this make sense or should the GUI be structured differently?
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > > Jacob
> > > >
> > > > On 6/22/07, Rafael Teixeira <monoman at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > I would prefer to have it present the choice of using the parent
> > > > > changelog or creating one in some place along the path.
> > > > >
> > > > > Also a solution/project option could help set the preferred policy, as
> > > > > some groups just prefer a top changelog, and others like
> > > > > mono/monodevelop, prefer per directory ones, and some have both
> > > > > things.
> > > > >
> > > > > :)
> > > > >
> > > > > On 6/22/07, Jacob Ilsø Christensen <jacobilsoe at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > > Hi.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The attached patch changes the ChangeLogAddIn behaviour such that if a
> > > > > > ChangeLog is not found in the current directory, parent directories
> > > > > > are searched.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Is this ok to commit or is it a bad idea?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Regards,
> > > > > > Jacob
> > > > > >
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > Monodevelop-list mailing list
> > > > > > Monodevelop-list at lists.ximian.com
> > > > > >
> > > http://lists.ximian.com/mailman/listinfo/monodevelop-list
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Rafael "Monoman" Teixeira
> > > > > ---------------------------------------
> > > > > "I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good
> > > intentions."
> > > > > Augusten Burroughs
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Monodevelop-list mailing list
> > > > Monodevelop-list at lists.ximian.com
> > > >
> > > http://lists.ximian.com/mailman/listinfo/monodevelop-list
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Monodevelop-list mailing list
> Monodevelop-list at lists.ximian.com
> http://lists.ximian.com/mailman/listinfo/monodevelop-list