Re: [Axiom-developer] Preferred SCM

[David MENTRE]

Hello Bill,

2006/2/7, Page, Bill <address@hidden>:
>   darcs: I don't like its commutable patch theory
>
> What is not to like about this theory? Could you explain?

I found it seducing at first but I fear that DARCS patch commutation
would make the understanding of merge failure difficult. In general in
computer science, I don't like things which are not predictable.

I've also read once a post from somebody who said that DARCS failed on
his big project and was not scalable.

> In practice it seems to work very well. I have used darcs on
> Windows, linux with Axiom and on Solaris in another project.
> My experience is that the merging of patches in darcs is
> superior to cvs and tla (arch), resulting in fewer conflicts
> to resolve.

You practice contradicts my own readings. I've never said that my
words were the One Truth(tm). ;-)

> I do not know of any limitations of darcs that would prevent
> it from being used in the same way that tla is now used in
> Axiom.

The main issue with those SCM choice is that the only real test is to
apply an SCM on your project and see if it works or not.

For example, I find Arch irritating because it is slow, it imposes
specific naming of branches, it lacks documentation, its command line
is difficult to remember and making a new branch is not that easy.
Without a day to day use for two years, I would not have said that.
:-)

Best wishes,
d.