threads / discuss / 26162

custom diff - text file diary entries

Subject: custom diff - text file diary entries

## tl;dr

4 messages between Dec 30, 2010 and Dec 30, 2010.

replies: 3people: 3as markdown or json

Zenaan Harkness· Dec 30, 2010, 11:33 UTC · lore

Problem: Separate text file diary entries, committed in separate repos, cause merge clash when pushed to central repo, since git thinks the two entries are a single conflicting entry (since they begin at the same location in the same file).

What we need is two diary entries automatically detected and inserted into the one file, one above the other (ordering is not so important).

Detail: I have a repo of diary text files; each diary entry is separated by three blank lines and has an asterisked + dated header, and a body. Here is an example diary file contents: ---- *20101230 by sarah, @~3:00pm Phoned James and asked why he took so long shopping. He said he had planned a one day trip, but got lost in Bunnings. I told him 'yeah sure, like I believe that'. I asked him what he got.

This is the list he told me:
 - pliers
 - hammer
 - nails

*20101229 by james Today I went shopping. Bought some eggs. ----

Each new diary entry gets added in the appropriate diary file in reverse chronological order.

james, sarah and others each share a few diary files (different diaries have different purposes).

The problem is: james and sarah, each in their own clone of the central repo; they each add a new diary entry to the same file, then commit, then push;

the second person to push will fail, since each new diary entry occurs in the same location, the top of the file; this requires a pull: result is git gives me the following (james pushed 2nd) extract:

<<<<<<< HEAD *20101231 by james I took a day off today. Didn't do much at all. ======= *20101231 by sarah James told me this morning he was taking a day off, so bugger it, I decided to take a day off too.

I switched on the answering machine.

>>>>>>> a55d55a7a074bed5dbc24416f20a1d9391f2bb40

Desired outcome: Two new diary entries - two separate insertions into the text file, not the conflict.

Is there an easy way I can automate this diary entry merging, so my users don't have to manually resolve the conflict?

Please note: SOMETIMES, one user will go and correct spelling and/ or grammar fixes in another person's diary entry, or in their own older diary entry - this is quite common.

TIA Zen

Andreas Ericsson· Dec 30, 2010, 12:22 UTC · re: Zenaan Harkness · lore

Re: custom diff - text file diary entries

On 12/30/2010 12:33 PM, Zenaan Harkness wrote:

Show 20 quoted lines

> Problem:
> Separate text file diary entries, committed in separate repos,
> cause merge clash when pushed to central repo,
> since git thinks the two entries are a single conflicting entry
> (since they begin at the same location in the same file).
> 
> What we need is two diary entries automatically detected and inserted
> into the one file, one above the other (ordering is not so important).
> 
> Desired outcome:
> Two new diary entries - two separate insertions into the text file,
> not the conflict.
> 
> Is there an easy way I can automate this diary entry merging, so my
> users don't have to manually resolve the conflict?
> 
> Please note: SOMETIMES, one user will go and correct spelling and/ or
> grammar fixes in another person's diary entry, or in their own older
> diary entry - this is quite common.
>

It seems like what you really need is a database backend for this that you simply take normal backups from every once in a while, or a script that produces the desired output on the fly from many different files.

If you really, really want to use git for this, you could create your own custom merge driver. How to do so is reasonably well documented in examples and man-pages. You'll want to sneak a peak at the attributes page.

-- 
Andreas Ericsson                   andreas.ericsson@op5.se
OP5 AB                             www.op5.se
Tel: +46 8-230225                  Fax: +46 8-230231

Considering the successes of the wars on alcohol, poverty, drugs and
terror, I think we should give some serious thought to declaring war
on peace.

Zenaan Harkness· Dec 30, 2010, 12:36 UTC · re: Andreas Ericsson · lore

Re: custom diff - text file diary entries

On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 23:22, Andreas Ericsson <ae@op5.se> wrote:

Show 9 quoted lines

> On 12/30/2010 12:33 PM, Zenaan Harkness wrote:
>> Problem:
>> Separate text file diary entries, committed in separate repos,
>> cause merge clash when pushed to central repo,
>> since git thinks the two entries are a single conflicting entry
>> (since they begin at the same location in the same file).
>>
>> What we need is two diary entries automatically detected and inserted
>> into the one file, one above the other (ordering is not so important).

...

> If you really, really want to use git for this, you could create your
> own custom merge driver. How to do so is reasonably well documented in
> examples and man-pages. You'll want to sneak a peak at the attributes
> page.

"custom merge driver .. attributes page"

Thank you very much for these pointers, Zen

Santi Béjar· Dec 30, 2010, 13:47 UTC · re: Zenaan Harkness · lore

Re: custom diff - text file diary entries

On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 1:36 PM, Zenaan Harkness <zen@freedbms.net> wrote:

Show 17 quoted lines

> On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 23:22, Andreas Ericsson <ae@op5.se> wrote:
>> On 12/30/2010 12:33 PM, Zenaan Harkness wrote:
>>> Problem:
>>> Separate text file diary entries, committed in separate repos,
>>> cause merge clash when pushed to central repo,
>>> since git thinks the two entries are a single conflicting entry
>>> (since they begin at the same location in the same file).
>>>
>>> What we need is two diary entries automatically detected and inserted
>>> into the one file, one above the other (ordering is not so important).
> ...
>> If you really, really want to use git for this, you could create your
>> own custom merge driver. How to do so is reasonably well documented in
>> examples and man-pages. You'll want to sneak a peak at the attributes
>> page.
>
> "custom merge driver .. attributes page"

Maybe you are interested also in these ChangeLog merge driver for git:

https://git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Interfaces,_frontends,_and_tools#git-merge-changelog

HTH, Santi