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Posted to dev@subversion.apache.org by Ich Selbst <ic...@gmx.ch> on 2002/12/21 13:55:22 UTC
svn:description
Hi,
after reading the article at
<http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/apache/2002/12/19/svn2.html>
I thought that an 'official' svn property called 'description' would
make sense. Sure, there wouldn't be any functionality depending
on that but GUI-clients could surely use such a property.
For example clients could show those descriptions in tree-views
of the filesystem right to the file entries.
Users could use that property to describe folders/files to make
it easier to identify the content of those folders/files.
I suggest that there should be a maximum length (e.g. 1024 bytes)
of that descriptions. That's because longer descriptions belong
into a separate README file and also to make it easier for clients
to implement a GUI (that way the text field showing the description
does not need to be increased in size too much).
For the subversion repository descriptions could be:
bindings interfaces for other languages than plain C
clients subversion clients
include the header files each client needs
libsvn_auth authentication files
....
there are several possible levels those properties could get
implemented:
- only make that property 'official' and let the clients handle them
the way they want/need to.
- provide also client functions like get/setDescription for easier use
- or even include a description in the status struct
what do you guys think of that?
Steve King
Re: svn:description
Posted by Florin Iucha <fl...@iucha.net>.
On Sat, Dec 21, 2002 at 02:55:22PM +0100, Ich Selbst wrote:
> Hi,
>
> after reading the article at
> <http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/apache/2002/12/19/svn2.html>
> I thought that an 'official' svn property called 'description' would
> make sense. Sure, there wouldn't be any functionality depending
> on that but GUI-clients could surely use such a property.
> For example clients could show those descriptions in tree-views
> of the filesystem right to the file entries.
> Users could use that property to describe folders/files to make
> it easier to identify the content of those folders/files.
> I suggest that there should be a maximum length (e.g. 1024 bytes)
> of that descriptions. That's because longer descriptions belong
> into a separate README file and also to make it easier for clients
> to implement a GUI (that way the text field showing the description
> does not need to be increased in size too much).
>
> For the subversion repository descriptions could be:
>
> bindings interfaces for other languages than plain C
> clients subversion clients
> include the header files each client needs
> libsvn_auth authentication files
> ....
>
> there are several possible levels those properties could get
> implemented:
>
> - only make that property 'official' and let the clients handle them
> the way they want/need to.
> - provide also client functions like get/setDescription for easier use
> - or even include a description in the status struct
>
> what do you guys think of that?
No need to invent new names. You can use Dublin Core
http://dublincore.org/
Just use dmci:description, dmci:creator ...
Cheers,
florin
--
"If it's not broken, let's fix it till it is."
Re: svn:description
Posted by Julian Fitzell <ju...@beta4.com>.
I'll throw my 2 cents in. The nice thing about namespaces is you don't
have to include everything in the base namespace. If we're adding a
property that we consider "fundamental" and we think that *every* client
should support it, then we should put it in svn:. But if it's an
optional feature that some client might want to make use of, then yeah,
lets just define a new appropriate namespace and define the rules for
the properties in that namespace.
Yes, we need to link to that definition from the subversion docs (I
don't think it needs to be contained within them), but if there is a
standard provided, client authors will use it. It can be standardized
without being prefixed with 'svn:'.
Julian
Nuutti Kotivuori wrote:
> Greg Hudson wrote:
>
>>On Sat, 2002-12-21 at 18:43, Nuutti Kotivuori wrote:
>>
>>>People would be stupid not to follow a well-made specification for
>>>these properties. And there's no reason to have it in the 'svn'
>>>namespace.
>>
>>If it's used by a Subversion program, it should be in the svn:
>>namespace. Otherwise it shouldn't be.
>
>
> I mostly agree, but kind of disagree as well.
>
> If there is a separate specification, like the DMCI, which already
> specifies a namespace and property names - I don't see a reason why
> Subversion programs should not use those properties, instead of
> defining their own copies in 'svn'.
>
> And even though here the specification might be something a little
> more ad hoc (if the DMCI isn't suitable), I see the situation as the
> same.
>
>
>>Of course, that just reduces the question to equally unresolved
>>questions, like "are there any Subversion GUI programs which count
>>as Subversion programs?" and "should {rapidsvn/gsvn/svn ls -v/} use
>>a description property?" I have no opinion on those questions.
>
>
> Well yes, if one looks at the matter like that - I don't think I have
> an opinion on that either.
>
> -- Naked
>
>
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--
julian@beta4.com
Beta4 Productions (http://www.beta4.com)
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Re: svn:description
Posted by Nuutti Kotivuori <na...@iki.fi>.
Greg Hudson wrote:
> On Sat, 2002-12-21 at 18:43, Nuutti Kotivuori wrote:
>> People would be stupid not to follow a well-made specification for
>> these properties. And there's no reason to have it in the 'svn'
>> namespace.
>
> If it's used by a Subversion program, it should be in the svn:
> namespace. Otherwise it shouldn't be.
I mostly agree, but kind of disagree as well.
If there is a separate specification, like the DMCI, which already
specifies a namespace and property names - I don't see a reason why
Subversion programs should not use those properties, instead of
defining their own copies in 'svn'.
And even though here the specification might be something a little
more ad hoc (if the DMCI isn't suitable), I see the situation as the
same.
> Of course, that just reduces the question to equally unresolved
> questions, like "are there any Subversion GUI programs which count
> as Subversion programs?" and "should {rapidsvn/gsvn/svn ls -v/} use
> a description property?" I have no opinion on those questions.
Well yes, if one looks at the matter like that - I don't think I have
an opinion on that either.
-- Naked
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Re: svn:description
Posted by Nuutti Kotivuori <na...@iki.fi>.
Ich Selbst wrote:
> If such a property would go to a new namespace (and gets documented)
> then the documentation must be in the subversion documentation -
> otherwise client programmers probably won't know the existence of
> that property and therefore not implement it (or even worse:
> implement an own property which does the same - which would lead to
> incompatible clients).
Almost. The documentation must be _referenced_ from the Subversion
documentation, but I don't think it needs to contain it. For example,
I would think it would be quite appropriate to reference the DCMI from
Subversion documentation, instead of containing something similar
inside the 'svn' namespace.
-- Naked
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Re: svn:description
Posted by Ich Selbst <ic...@gmx.ch>.
> If it's used by a Subversion program, it should be in the svn:
> namespace. Otherwise it shouldn't be.
That's also my opinion.
> Of course, that just reduces the question to equally unresolved
> questions, like "are there any Subversion GUI programs which count as
> Subversion programs?" and "should {rapidsvn/gsvn/svn ls -v/} use a
> description property?" I have no opinion on those questions.
I think if it's a subversion client then it is a subversion program and
therefore it should use the description property (but it doesn't have to of
course).
Each client could decide whether and how to use those properties.
If such a property would go to a new namespace (and gets documented)
then the documentation must be in the subversion documentation - otherwise
client programmers probably won't know the existence of that property
and therefore not implement it (or even worse: implement an own property
which does the same - which would lead to incompatible clients).
So, if this won't cause any problems (and I think it doesn't) then why
not just do it? Is it really such a big deal? All I'm asking for is a new
property which clients could treat special to give the user one more
possibility to manage a project.
Steve King
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Re: svn:description
Posted by Greg Hudson <gh...@MIT.EDU>.
On Sat, 2002-12-21 at 18:43, Nuutti Kotivuori wrote:
> People would be stupid not to follow a well-made specification for
> these properties. And there's no reason to have it in the 'svn'
> namespace.
If it's used by a Subversion program, it should be in the svn:
namespace. Otherwise it shouldn't be.
Of course, that just reduces the question to equally unresolved
questions, like "are there any Subversion GUI programs which count as
Subversion programs?" and "should {rapidsvn/gsvn/svn ls -v/} use a
description property?" I have no opinion on those questions.
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Re: svn:description
Posted by Nuutti Kotivuori <na...@iki.fi>.
Ich Selbst wrote:
> Sorry, but that's not that simple as you might think! If that's
> done with a custom property then different users will use different
> names for that property (e.g. description, info, tag, desc, ...).
> That way clients could not depend on such a property! Also, it
> wouldn't be sure that such a property is text only.
Make a new namespace for properties - something suitable, I don't know
what. Then publish it public description, explain versioning, explain
usages. Define properties and give good explanations on how they are
used.
People would be stupid not to follow a well-made specification for
these properties. And there's no reason to have it in the 'svn'
namespace.
-- Naked
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Re: svn:description
Posted by Ich Selbst <ic...@gmx.ch>.
> > I thought that an 'official' svn property called 'description' would
> > make sense. Sure, there wouldn't be any functionality depending
> > on that but GUI-clients could surely use such a property.
>
> I think that there is any requirement for an "official" property in svn:
> namespace. That could be more symply done with a common custom property.
Sorry, but that's not that simple as you might think!
If that's done with a custom property then different users will use
different names for that property (e.g. description, info, tag, desc, ...).
That way clients could not depend on such a property!
Also, it wouldn't be sure that such a property is text only.
Steve King
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Re: svn:description
Posted by Daniele Nicolodi <da...@grinta.net>.
On Sat, Dec 21, 2002 at 02:55:22PM +0100, Ich Selbst wrote:
> I thought that an 'official' svn property called 'description' would
> make sense. Sure, there wouldn't be any functionality depending
> on that but GUI-clients could surely use such a property.
I think that there is any requirement for an "official" property in svn:
namespace. That could be more symply done with a common custom property.
Ciao
--
Daniele
--- http://www.grinta.net ---
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