[GSoC Proposal/RFC] Rolling commit message writing

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

 



Hello,

I looked at the ideas on the wiki ( https://git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/SoC2010Ideas ) and then I remembered that I had an itch to scratch when it came to git.

So I have written a proposal for something which is not on that list:
https://git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/User:Drt24/GSoC2010/

This is included below to allow for easier commenting on it.

Since this proposal is not on the ideas list I am also looking for someone to mentor this project.

However if it is considered that this is a silly idea (I hope it isn't) then I will write a proposal for the "Merge helper for LaTeX files" as this scratches another of my itches.

Begin proposal:

== Project Goals ==

=== What is the goal of your project? ===
To make it easier for developers to write good commit messages.

=== What you are going to try to accomplish with your project? ===
Currently it is fairly easy to write good commit messages but the effort that this requires of developers can be reduced still further.

This would be achieved by adding a built in system for working on a commit message during the stage of adding changes.

Currently this can be done manually using "-F <file>, --file=<file>" in git commit but we can do better than that. Specifically changes to git add [--interactive | -i] to add an 'am' or similar command to allow adding a file and then prompting for a message about the changes to that file. Also changes to git add [--patch | -p] to add 'm' and 'c' options to git add --patch to allow the addition of a message for the current hunk ('m') and to do a commit (prompting for review) before returning to the hunk currently in focus ('c').

=== How would you measure its success or failure? ===
* The creation of a good API for editing commit messages for work that is in the process of being added for commit. * The integration of this API with currently existing CLI tools such as git add so that it fits seamlessly with developer's workflow. * The modification of existing documentation to properly reflect this change. * The addition of any additional documentation on how to use this new feature.
* The addition of thorough testing of this feature to 'git.git/t'.
* Compliance with SubmittingPatches and CodingGuidelines.
* Work should be undertaken with careful communication with the community.

=== The project in more detail. ===
A backend for storing the commit message that is being worked on, probably using a file called COMMIT_NEXTMSG in .git/ (following the standard set by COMMIT_EDITMSG). With a file format for describing the commit message, this would be a normal text file but with the use of "/path/to/file.extension:[line number | line-range:] <detail about this part of the commit>" to store the various bits of commit message as they are added. (alternatively it might be better to use the git notes system but I haven't looked into this yet)

Teaching 'git commit' about this so that it appends the contents of this file to the commit message supplied at the next commit if '-m' is used or if [-n | --nextmsg] is used then it just uses the contents of the file (of course [-e| --edit] would allow this to be subsequently edited.

Teaching 'git commit' --rolling or something similar which would open COMMIT_NEXTMSG in $GIT_EDITOR.

Teaching 'git add [-i | --interactive]' an 'am' or similar command for 'add and prompt for message' (with care to not spoil the current interface.

Teaching 'git add [-p | --patch]' the 'm' and 'c' commands for adding a message about the changes in the current hunk and for committing changes added so far after being shown 'git status' being prompted as to whether the user wishes to continue (y/n) where 'y' shows the commit message in GIT_EDITOR such that writing from that commits and returns the user to the hunk they were looking at and 'n' takes them straight back to the hunk. This makes it easier to separate out multiple atomic changes from a file.

=== Schedule ===
* 3rd June begin work in earnest: (my last exam is on this day).
* 9th June finish first version of backend and API.
* 15th June finish writing tests on backend and API and any changes suggested by the testing or after reveiw.
* 22nd June finish teaching git commit --rolling
* 28th June finish teaching git add [-i | --interactive] the 'am' (add with message) command. * 9th July finish teaching git add [-p | --patch] the 'm' (add with message) command.
* 12th July mid term evaluation
* 16th July finish teaching git add [-p | --patch] the 'c' (commit with edit returning here) command. * 26th July finish teaching git commit [-n | --nextmsg] and to use the COMMIT_NEXTMSG if available. * 2nd August write lots more tests on everything implemented so far. Ensure that all known bugs are properly fixed. Make any changes suggested. * 9th August check all the documentation and make all the necessary changes. Write any more additional pieces of documentation necessary e.g. tutorials.
* 9th August suggested pencils down deadline.
* 16th August firm pencils down deadline, finish rechecking all code, documentation, tests and submitting patches to the mailing lists. Write final evaluation.
* 20th August final evaluation deadline.
* Continuing: provide any necessary support for these changes and fix any bugs that are found subsequently. Continue lurking on the mailing list and #git. Help with the continued development of git.

== Interfaces ==

===What parts of Git will you need to call?===
* editor.c
* strbuf.c
* string-list.c
* git show
* Those files which I am also modifying, see below.

=== What parts of Git might you need to change? ===
* git-add--interactive.perl
* commit.c
* builtin/{add.c,commit.c}
* Documentation/{git-commit.txt,git-add.txt}
* t/{t750?-commit*,t370?-add*} (probably just adding new files)

== About You ==

=== Projects that I have worked on ===

Last term I worked on the quebec project for my group project which is part of my University course. This can be seen here: https://www.srcf.ucam.org/quebec/tomcat/quebec/ and the code is here: https://www.srcf.ucam.org/quebec/quebec-0.1.tar.gz though it is not really in a fit state for use by anyone else and we never got around to talking about licenses. I wrote the User Management system, and ran the server (tomcat), version control (SVN after a vote by the group which had in general not used VCSs before) and unit testing (junit4). I also rewrote part of the comms system and wrote a test client for it. This project was also in Java. We did a lot of communication in person but we also used Google wave and Google docs. There were five developers in my group and we had a client from IBM.

Last summer (2009) I worked on the second iteration of the ReadYourMeter.org project (which is still in development) I wrote 8.7ksloc of Java and GWT. This code is available under the GPL v2 but since we haven't done a release yet it isn't linked to from anywhere. I was the only developer on this project, I communicated with my supervisor both in person and via email.

In Christmas 2008 I wrote a simple command line [https://www.srcf.ucam.org/~drt24/blog/2008/12/10-release-of-fractals/ fractal image generator] in SML for my own amusement.

In February 2007 I contributed a couple of minor patches to the Worldforge.org project (in python). Most communication was done on #lounge on irc.worldforge.org, but I also used the mailing list (particularly for the submission of patches). I had CVS commit rights but they have subsequently moved to Git and I have only been lurking on their mailing list since the summer of 2007.

[https://www.srcf.ucam.org/~drt24/onlineCVdrt24.pdf My CV.]<!-- This link will break once the application period is over. -->

===Do you have any prior Git experience? Have you started to get involved?===

I have been using Git for over a year for various personal projects ranging from academic work and projects to websites I have worked on for various people. I haven't used it in a multi-user manner as in general it has been just me working on these projects in git. I have pulled git.git and successfully compiled and installed it (which was pleasantly easy), I also ran the tests in git.git/t which seemed to go as well as it was supposed to.

I have been lurking on #git for a few days now and I have tried to provide support where I could for those questions which were asked when I was watching. I have joined the git mailing list and while I haven't been reading all the emails I have been reading a selection of them.

If accepted I would send a weekly progress report to the mailing list (unless people would object to that). I would ensure that I regularly pushed my changes to somewhere public so that anyone interested could look at them. I would ensure that I listened to advice given to me and acted upon it. I would start submitting patches to the mailing list as [PATCH/RFC] once I have finished a section of work to allow anyone to make suggestions on how to do it better early on in the project. I would also remain on #git and increase the proportion of mailing list emails which I read.

=== Prior contact with the Git community ===

I talked to [http://colabti.org/irclogger/irclogger_log/git?date=2010-03-23#l2369 'Paradox' and 'charon' about this on #git] after 'Paradox' had asked if something similar was available. 'charon' mentioned that git commit --append --only or 'git rebase --interactiv

I posted a link to this proposal on #git a few hours before I posted it here but there were no responses to it.

--
Thank you,

Daniel
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe git" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html

[Index of Archives]     [Linux Kernel Development]     [Gcc Help]     [IETF Annouce]     [DCCP]     [Netdev]     [Networking]     [Security]     [V4L]     [Bugtraq]     [Yosemite]     [MIPS Linux]     [ARM Linux]     [Linux Security]     [Linux RAID]     [Linux SCSI]     [Fedora Users]