From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:12:33 GMT
Subject: Re: [RFC/PATCH 0/2] Test the Git version string
Message-ID: <7v8v4imjji.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <99AE5E981E2547B6A71A4D77B17167B9@PhilipOakley>

"Philip Oakley" <philipoakley@iee.org> writes:

>> What kind of benefit are you envisioning out of this?
>
> The purpose of tests is to detect mistakes and spot regressions.
>
> A change to the 'git version X.Y.z' string would be a regression, as I
> spotted earlier, as it conflicts with expectations of standard
> programmes such as git-gui.

Sorry, but I do not follow.

A released version says "git version 1.8.2.1".  In a month or so,
I'll have another one that says "git version 1.8.3".  Or I may
decide to bump in preparation for 2.0 and it may identify itself as
"git version 1.9".

Neither of which no existing "program such as git-gui" has ever
seen.

In what way is that a regression?