Re: future of git-gui as subsytem or submodule, WAS: [PATCH] git-gui: document the gui.maxfilesdisplayed variable

From: Jens Lehmann <jens.lehmann@web.de>
Date: Feb 14, 2011, 22:46 UTC
Message-ID: <4D59B0D7.5000107@web.de>
In-Reply-To: <20110214220318.GD50815@book.hvoigt.net>

Am 14.02.2011 23:03, schrieb Heiko Voigt:

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> On Sun, Feb 13, 2011 at 11:51:04PM -0800, Junio C Hamano wrote:
>> Two opposing thoughts.
>>
>>  1. We can keep git-gui and git proper separate projects, move git-gui
>>     documentation out of git to git-gui, and with clever Makefile trick
>>     include and build git-gui related documentation conditionally only
>>     when git-gui appears part of the git project tree (this anticipates a
>>     future where git-gui is bound to git not with the subtree merge
>>     strategy as we currently do, but as a submodule).
>>
>>  2. Just like the Linux kernel project, we can make each subsystem with
>>     separate maintainers just different repositories of the same git
>>     project with their own focus.  We already do this for git-svn (which I
>>     delegate to Eric Wong by pulling from him) and some parts of contrib/
>>     tree; we have already been halfway there for gitweb/ (which I don't
>>     regularly "pull from", but I mainly act as a patch monkey without
>>     actively managing that part myself).  I don't see why we cannot extend
>>     that model to git-gui and gitk.
> 
> I would vote for 2. Not because I think submodules will not become as easy to
> use so they are ready for that but I think there are mainly two reasons
> for using a submodule
> 
>   A. The submodule contains shared code which is used by multiple projects
> 
>   B. A submodule is used to keep large collection of files seperate from
>      a project because most times they are not needed and would
>      interfere with the project.

C. The subproject is developed by someone else, is not under the
   administrative control of the superproject, and follows a different
   release cycle. (as seen on the Git Wiki ;-)

I don't have strong feelings about this choice, but because of the way git-gui and gitk are developed at the moment 1) seems more appropriate right now. But this is Pat's and Paul's call, as they have to agree with the choice taken and choosing 2) might tie those guis more to a specific git version than they might be comfortable with. But I'm just guessing here ...

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> There are maybe more but these two do not apply to git-gui and I like
> the way it is currently integrated in one repository with git. It also
> underlines the fact that git-gui is AFAICS the standard and best
> developed gui for git.
> 
> Another plus, if we extend that model to gitk, is that both could start
> sharing code between each other (maybe relocate to the same directory).

That is an advantage of approach 2).

> Although 1. would be a good choice for getting more people involved in
> enhancing submodule support, from a philosophical standpoint, I think 2.
> is the more natural choice.

I don't think "getting more people involved in enhancing submodule support" is a strong argument here. We should choose that policy which supports the development culture of the projects in question.