js/scalar, was Re: What's cooking in git.git (Oct 2021, #05; Mon, 18)

From: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
Date: Oct 19, 2021, 12:45 UTC
Message-ID: <nycvar.QRO.7.76.6.2110191436250.56@tvgsbejvaqbjf.bet>
In-Reply-To: <xmqq1r4hv7bv.fsf@gitster.g>

Hi Junio,

On Mon, 18 Oct 2021, Junio C Hamano wrote:

Show 20 quoted lines

> * js/scalar (2021-10-07) 15 commits
>  - scalar: accept -C and -c options before the subcommand
>  - scalar: implement the `version` command
>  - scalar: implement the `delete` command
>  - scalar: teach 'reconfigure' to optionally handle all registered enlistments
>  - scalar: allow reconfiguring an existing enlistment
>  - scalar: implement the `run` command
>  - scalar: teach 'clone' to support the --single-branch option
>  - scalar: implement the `clone` subcommand
>  - scalar: implement 'scalar list'
>  - scalar: let 'unregister' handle a deleted enlistment directory gracefully
>  - scalar: 'unregister' stops background maintenance
>  - scalar: 'register' sets recommended config and starts maintenance
>  - scalar: create test infrastructure
>  - scalar: start documenting the command
>  - scalar: create a rudimentary executable
>
>  Add pieces from "scalar" to contrib/.
>
>  What's the status of this thing?

As far as I am concerned, the current status is: We agreed that this thing _can_ live in contrib/, and that the `scalar` command itself should not be integrated deeply into Git because the end game is for `git clone` (and maybe `git maintenance`) to learn Scalar's tricks.

A concern was raised that `make -C contrib/scalar` does not rebuild `libgit.a` whenever any of `libgit.a`'s source files were modified. In light of the previous paragraph, I believe that my time would be better spent on designing a new `git clone` option, though, than to spend time on a build process that will be soon obsolete (except if I allow myself to be distracted by things like teaching `make -C contrib/scalar` to know about `libgit.a`'s prerequisites). In other words, it is a technical debt I firmly believe is worth accruing.

Other than that, I heard no objections, therefore I believe that this is ready for `next`, to be cooked in the v2.34 cycle.

Ciao, Dscho