[PATCH 3 of 3 branch --new] branch: deprecate creation of branches without --new

[Mads Kiilerich]

On 04/15/2015 06:36 PM, Augie Fackler wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 15, 2015 at 05:14:52PM -0400, Mads Kiilerich wrote:
>> # HG changeset patch
>> # User Mads Kiilerich <madski at unity3d.com>
>> # Date 1429132330 14400
>> #      Wed Apr 15 17:12:10 2015 -0400
>> # Node ID 97c2568dfc479675b96b84ea3b6ae7ec55f5560c
>> # Parent  f832f9a6081a18eb3f54e1f2718ab753cff9d50c
>> branch: deprecate creation of branches without --new
>>
>> --new is more explicit and not treacherous for git users.
> How? --new does nothing to help git users understand that branches are
> global and permanent. This series seems like it'll make the problem
> for git users worse, not better.

I have been told (when other changes were rejected) that git users 
expect "$toolname branch foo" to switch to a branch foo - they don't 
expect it to create a new branch. That is why we can't let our branch 
creation be quiet but have to tell the users that we just did what they 
(perhaps unintentionally) told us to do. And that is why we must take 
extra care to protect the user from reviving branches when he perhaps 
rather would update to the existing head.

I think that we by making branch creation more explicit can let it be 
what we would like it to be - and allow branch revival without any ugly 
use of --force.

People who read the documentation and learned the --new option will 
probably also have a basic understanding of what Mercurial branches are 
so we don't have to show the "Mercurial branches are not what you think 
it is - do you want to use git?"-ish warning.

/Mads