scenarios + workflows + docs

[Ian Clatworthy]

Karl Fogel wrote:
> Emma Jane Hogbin <emmajane at ubuntu.com> writes:
>> I'd love to take a crack at this!

That would be awesome Emma. Thank-you!

>> The way I've been picturing it is to start a page that has only the
>> simplified graphics from the workflows (only the people/computers
>> showing) with a brief text description). And then you choose the right
>> picture for your needs and click through to the options for that
>> picture. The options for each might be:
>> 1. Extended description for this workflow (the scenarios?)
>> 2. "In five minutes" mini tutorial to set up this workflow from scratch.
>> 3. Converting to this workflow from other VCSes (e.g. centralized would
>> have links for info on switching from CVS and svn).
> 
> Perfect, yes.  Now that you frame it that way, it's hard to imagine any
> other way to go, actually :-).

> One possible issue is that the differences between some of the scenarios
> are not easily expressible visually.  For example, the way to use bzr to
> make a one-off patch contribution to some random open source project is
> different from the way to use it to become a regular contributor --
> that's why the first two scenarios are not the same.

Right. I've been thinking hard recently on how best to explain and
simplify the whole "get me started quickly" issue. There's actually
2 related "dimensions" involved:

1. The workflow you want
2. How your workspace is organised.

I'm beginning to think that the current approach I and others have typically
taken - i.e. explaining workspace organisation as a side-effect of
explaining the workflows - is *not* the best way. Instead, let's consider
explaining the workspace organisation options first and then the workflows
might flow a little easier?

> Sometimes I wish those two could be unified, such that bzr (or a plugin)
> would offer a single command that means "Set me up to follow PROJ and
> maybe contribute patches".  As in:
> 
>    bzr init-repo PROJ
>    cd PROJ
>    bzr branch URL-TO-PROJ-MAINLINE PROJ-trunk
>    [edit PROJ-trunk/.bzr/branch/config appropriately]
>    bzr bind URL-TO-PROJ-MAINLINE PROJ-trunk
>    bzr branch PROJ-trunk PROJ-dev
> 
> However, that's a separate issue.  For now, let's just document it...

I'll throw up a web page presenting my latest thoughts on this.
Stay tuned.

Ian C.