Re: [PATCH] add a 'pre-push' hook

From: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
Date: Aug 19, 2008, 19:08 UTC
Message-ID: <20080819190832.GC17943@coredump.intra.peff.net>
In-Reply-To: <d411cc4a0808191200o39837fd0ka2530aed870e06b0@mail.gmail.com>

On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 12:00:38PM -0700, Scott Chacon wrote:

> If the patch is acceptable, I will update the githooks doc with more
> information, but we would like this so that you could add a hook that
> runs your automated tests before a push would go through.

I think the common wisdom has been that such tests should be done on the _receiving_ end, since that makes a more trustworthy enforcement point. E.g., I know that crap can't get into my central repo because a hook checks everything coming in. But if a developer has turned off his pre-push hook (or accidentally failed to enable it), he can still send crap.

One other argument I have seen is that, to prevent the proliferation of hooks, the rule is not to add a hook that could just as easily be done as a sequence of commands. IOW, what's wrong with

  run_my_automated_tests && git push

Off the top of my head, I guess the response to those two arguments would be:

 - sometimes the receiving end isn't set up to run tests, which means it
   is more reasonable to do it on the sending side

 - it's more convenient to just type "git push" than to remember "tests
   && git push", so this reduces the chances of contributors
   accidentally pushing crap

-Peff