on Fri Aug 03 2007, "Robert Ramey" <ramey-AT-rrsd.com> wrote:
David Abrahams wrote:
on Thu Aug 02 2007, "Robert Ramey" <ramey-AT-rrsd.com> wrote:
Of course the beauty of this is we really don't all have to agree. You're free to improve the tools for trunk testing and the like and those of us who want to are free to use branches for development.
You could have been using branches for development all along. I do it often. It helps me get work done without worrying about other peoples' changes, and gives me a place to check in my work at intermediate points when it isn't ready for release. However, it doesn't change anything fundamental about the release process.
As a practical matter, thats what a number of us are effectively doing.
We're running development tests on our local system against the latest release. There is currently no real value in creating a branch because that branch is never going to get tested anywhere besides one's local machine anyway.
Of course there's value: * If you are suddenly killed or your server implodes, your intermediate work is preserved. * You can collaborate with other Boosters through the repository. * Merging is easier and more reliable (using svnmerge.py, or the upcoming svn 1.5) because the revision control system knows where everything came from and where it's going. * Other people can observe and/or coordinate with development in process.
And you're correct, this doesn't change the fundamental release procedures. It keeps the release procedures from making our own lives difficult.
And how did release procedures ever make our lives as developers difficult?
So from an individual developer's standpoint, its not really that great a problem anymore.
What isn't a problem?
Except for the tools we have to use - which is a whole other thread.
The one we ought to be spending keystrokes on. Or, better yet, work cycles. http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/world_events2007/roll_up_your_sleeves.htm... -- Dave Abrahams Boost Consulting http://www.boost-consulting.com The Astoria Seminar ==> http://www.astoriaseminar.com