[RFC] metaweave format

[John Arbash Meinel]

John Arbash Meinel wrote:
> Olaf Conradi wrote:
>> On 28/04/06, John Arbash Meinel <john at arbash-meinel.com> wrote:
> 
> ...
> 
>>> I would rather have the default be "default". Because in the future we
>>> may come up with something better than "metadir".
>> OK, I agree that's better.
>>
>>> Since no client has been officially released with --format=metadir, I
>>> would be okay with just changing its name to --format=metaweave, and
>>> fixing the bug that caused it to create knit format.
>> Patch attached.
>>
>> This changes "metadir" to "metaweave" which is metadirformat1 with
>> format7 weave repo.
>> Introduced format "default" which points to metadirformat1 (and is knit)
>> Fixes test cases accordingly.
>> Mentions "knit" as only supported format in "bzr help init" and "bzr
>> help init-repo". All other formats are available, but not shown in the
>> help. They are shown in "bzr help upgrade".
>>
>> So when a users knows what he is doing, he can use a deprecated format.
>>
>> http://deschacht.student.utwente.nl/bzr/bazaar-vcs/bzr.olaf.metaweave/
>>
>> -Olaf
>>
> 
> ...
> 
>>  
>> @@ -902,12 +906,14 @@
>>      takes_options = [
>>                       Option('format', 
>>                              help='Create a specific format rather than the'
>> -                                 ' current default format. Currently this '
>> -                                 ' option only accepts "metadir"',
>> +                                 ' current default format. Currently, the'
>> +                                 ' only supported format is "knit"',
>>                              type=get_format_type),
>>                       ]
> 
> If we are only going to mention one format, I would tend to say it as:
> "The recommended format is 'knit'".
> I think we are honestly planning to support all of the formats, so
> saying 'knit' is the only supported one is wrong.
> 
> Maybe this:
> Specify the format for this branch. Current options are: default, knit,
> metaweave, and weave. default=knit, metaweave and weave are deprecated.
> 
> It is a little bit long, but I think it is honest.
> 
> Because it is long, and probably more confusing/distracting, I would
> tend to move the help text into some sort of advanced section. And do
> something like:
> Specify the format for this branch. See "bzr help branch-formats" for
> more information.
> 
> At present, we don't have a good mechanism for detailed extra help (at
> least that I know of). But I think that would be useful to have.
> It would also help us for "bzr help revision-specs", which we have long
> had issues with.
> 
> Attached is kind of a prototype of that system. There could certainly be
> other ways of doing it. What do people think?
> 
> John
> =:->
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> === modified file 'bzrlib/help.py'
> --- bzrlib/help.py	
> +++ bzrlib/help.py	
> @@ -51,7 +51,24 @@
>  """
>  
>  
> +extra_topics = {
> +    'branch-formats':"""Bzr supports multiple branch formats.
> +
> +Most are legacy formats, and are intended for interoperability
> +with older clients.
> +
> +default:    This will always point to the current default format.
> +knit:       Blah blah blah
> +metaweave:  Blah blahdy blah
> +weave:      The format for bzr 0.7, which only supports 
> +            standalone branches. Use this for compatibility.
> +"""
> +}
> +
> +
>  import sys
> +
> +from bzrlib.errors import BzrCommandError
>  
>  
>  def help(topic=None, outfile = None):
> @@ -62,7 +79,12 @@
>      elif topic == 'commands':
>          help_commands(outfile = outfile)
>      else:
> -        help_on_command(topic, outfile = outfile)
> +        try:
> +            help_on_command(topic, outfile = outfile)
> +        except BzrCommandError, e:
> +            if topic not in extra_topics:
> +                raise
> +            outfile.write(extra_topics[topic])
>  
>  
>  def command_usage(cmd_object):
> 


Does anyone else have an opinion on something like this. What I just
outlined would be fairly easy and minimally invasive for 0.8, but I
would want to know that people like it first.

John
=:->

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