[Monotone-devel] Re: Deleting branches (was: Synchronising changes in two branches ...)

[graydon hoare]

On 01 Sep 2004 23:13:10 +0200, Peter Simons <address@hidden> wrote:

> My experience is that such "multi-branch constructs" are
> quite often necessary when using Monotone for more
> sophisticated tasks. In this light, I think it would be
> particularly important to have user interface options for
> deleting branches, renaming branches, and generally purging
> the database. Doing these things on the SQL level is not for
> everybody (me, for example) and achieving the desired effect
> by using temporary databases is, well, cumbersome.

agreed. it's just a matter of implementing the commands :)

> So I was wondering: Is it very difficult to implement these
> things? I honestly don't know, so I ask ... but if it is
> not, I would recommend doing it _soon_, because I think
> these options would really lift the usability of the tool to
> a new level.

ok. I wish .. alas, I wish I had time to implement a lot more
such things, but I can only really reprioritize things so much
before I conclude that "the list is currently too long". at the
moment my priority scheme looks like this:

 - home life
 - work
 - monotone
   - critical bug fixes
   - completion of changeset branch
   - less critical but still real bugs
   - merging in existing branches
     - ssh branch
     - restrictions branch
   - update manual, rewrite tutorial
   - all other new features
     -->> extra manipulation commands <<--
     - extended querying and reporting
     - merge into directory
     - agents, sign-bots, testsuite scripts
   - library upgrades
     - argp
     - sqlite 3
     - perhaps botan over cryptopp
     - perhaps python over lua (?)
   - a good GUI
   - cryptographic extensions
     - randomized transient merkle tries
     - randomized secondary MACs in MT/manifest
     - dynamic algorithm / parameter selection
     - automatic hash re-keying

> Not that I expect anyone to care what _I_ want. :-)

oh now, that's not true. I definitely care about feedback
I get (especially from experienced long-time users), I just
don't have enough free effort to do all the things I care
to do. surely this is a familiar enough situation.

-graydon