Re: patch tracking

[Zack Weinberg <zack@codesourcery.com>]

On Fri, Sep 14, 2001 at 02:52:34PM -0700, Joe Buck wrote:
> Zack writes:
> 
> > I have been considering a very simple patch tracker which would work
> > by monitoring the gcc-patches and gcc-cvs mailing lists.  The
> > principle would be: every time a patch is posted to gcc-patches, it
> > records the subject line and change log...
> 
> The problem is that there are too many things on gcc-patches that are
> not patches but rather are discussion of patches, 

It is trivial to detect patches in messages programmatically.

> or are completely untested hacks that don't deserve tracking.

I don't think it's the patch tracker's business to be making such
judgements, nor do I think that any approach that involves more human
effort on the front end will be successful.  The overwhelming problem,
as I see it, is patches that come in and never see a single follow-up
message.  Even if they are wrong.

The goal of my design is to fit as seamlessly as possible into the way
we work now.  We carry on discussing patches as we always have, but
now there is a safety net which prevents patches from being
forgotten.  

zw