Strategies for push/merge problem?

[Arne Babenhauserheide]

Am Donnerstag 17 Juli 2008 10:58:42 schrieb Alpár Jüttner:
> We changed from SVN to Mercurial exactly because we wanted to use the
> 'pull' model, while keeping the possibility for everyone to directly
> contribute to the code. We must have changed our processes
> significantly, but now we like this new approach a lot.

I on the other hand switched to Mercurial, because it is easy to use and can 
adapt to any workflow. 

What I use the most is a dual pull workflow: 
I set up my push repository (at freehg), someone else sets up his push repo. 
Then we pull from the others and push to our own repo. 

I easily managed to explain setting that up over a phone line, and even users 
who don't know anything about programming understand it. 

But I also use a push workflow: 
When I work on my laptop, I never merge on it. I only push back my changes 
onto my desktop and merge there. 
Workflow: 
- create repo on desktop
- clone on laptop
- push from laptop (often hg push -f)
- merge on desktop
- pull on laptop
- edit on desktop or laptop
- push/pull
- ... 

That way I always know that my data is avaible on the desktop after pushing, 
and that I can always work on the laptop without having to worry about the 
state of the repository. If I break anything, I merge it on the desktop. 

Sure, these are small scale workflows, but they solve one of my most pressing 
problems: Keeping the data on the laptop and the desktop synchronized without 
adding much overhead. 

And these are only two possible and well working flows. 

And once someone talks about the "true DVCS way", it sounds far too much 
like "true metal" (music) or "morally right path" (with moral being defined 
by the society, not the individuum). 

So I think, restricting any workflow isn't the way to go. 

Why design a DVCS if not for lifting restrictions posed by weak technology? 

Why restrict a user if it's possible to give him freedom to choose his own 
actions? 

Best wishes, 
Arne

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