Re: [Gnu-arch-users] What are version numbers?

[Denys Duchier]

Tom Lord <address@hidden> writes:

> We'll see.   Personally, I've _already_ found considerable value in
> branch labels in version ids when I start working with someone's
> archive who has asked me to merge in some changes.

"branch labels in version ids"???  I am not sure how to interpret
that.  Naming branches is of course emminently useful.  It's the
additional level of hierarchy with version numbers that I don't get.
Why not make it just part of the branch name?  What is the added
value?  I am quite willing to believe that there is some, but it would
help to see an actual example.  So far, I don't see that foo--1.0 has
any real advantages over foo-1.0 where -1.0 is just a conventional
part of the branch name that the user may optionally throw in.  But it
does have the disadvantage that every newcomer _must_ decide of such a
number (for e.g. archive-setup) without understanding what it's for.
It's a source of FUD (what's this button for? should I press or not?
Oh god! I _have_ to press it!  What happened?  Did I press it right?
I hope I pressed it right... you get the picture :-)

> Sure, I agree -- there are some "does it scale _down_?" issues here --
> but so far they look minor.

That's because you know way too much about arch :-)

Cheers,

-- 
Dr. Denys Duchier
Équipe Calligramme
LORIA, Nancy, FRANCE