[darcs-users] patch theory update

[Ian Lynagh]

Hi all,

Just a quick update on my patch theory work.

First, I've set up a project on the Haskell community server so that all
the pieces are now in the same place. The main page is here:
    http://projects.haskell.org/camp/
and it has details of where to find the various repos, snapshots etc.
There are also web pages talking about patch naming and repository
format design, which are orthogonal to patch theory but which I wanted
to write down somewhere while they were in my head.

I don't think that the prototype implementation has changed since my
last e-mail; I've been focussing on the theory description. Following
feedback from various people I've done a bit more restructuring, and it
should now be clear what the "inputs" to the paper are, and what
"outputs" it gives you. Meanwhile, section 12, which introduces catches,
has regressed a bit as it is mid-refactor.

Also, there's a sketch of a new section "9. Patch Systems". This will
show that, starting from the small properties that both patches and
catches satisfy, you can show that larger properties hold. I'm currently
working on another new section "13. Catch Patch System", to prove that
catches do satisfy the required properties. So some proofs are finally
starting to appear, albeit rather handwavey for now.

That's all for now!


Thanks
Ian