Re: [idea] File history tracking hints

> From: "Johannes Schindelin" <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de>
>
> > In light of such experiences, I have to admit that the notion that the
> > rename detection can always be improved in hindsight puts quite a bit of
> > insult to injury for those developers who are bitten by it.
> 
> Your list made me think that the hints should be directed toward what may be
> considered existing solutions for those specific awkward cases.
> 
> So the hints could be (by type):
> - template;licence;boiler-plate;standard;reference :: copy
> - word-rename
> - regex for word substitution changes (e.g. which chars are within 'Word-_0`)
> - regex for white-space changes (i.e. which chars are considered whitespace.)
> - move-dir path/glob spec
> - move-file path/glob spec
> (maybe list each 'group' of moves, so that once found the rest of the rename
> detection follows the group.)
> 
> Once the particular hint is detected (path qualified) then the clue/hint is
> used to assist in parsing the files to simplify the comparison task and locate
> common lines, or common word patterns.
> 
> The first example is just a set of alternate terms folk use for the new
> duplicate file file case.
> 
> The second is a hint that there has been a number of fairly global name
> changes in the files. so not only do a word diff but detect & sumarise those
> global changes. (your class move example)
> 
> The third is the more simple global word changes, based on a limited char set
> for a 'word' token list.
> The fourth is where we are focussed on the white space part (complementing the
> word token viewpoint)
> 
> The move hints are lists of path specs that each have distinctly moved.
> 
> It may be possible to order the hints as well, so that the detections work in
> the right order, giving the heuristics a better chance!