[darcs-users] darcs patch: Edit Front Page (and 9 more)

Daniel Carrera daniel.carrera at theingots.org
Mon Apr 13 12:46:05 UTC 2009


Hi Stephen,

Before I say anything else, are you happy with "patch reordering"? I can 
go for that if you think it's really better.


Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
> To be blunt, I suggest <nothing> is better than "smart patch" or
> "patch commutation", because they are claims that we can't
> substantiate to the potential user

This comment really confuses me. AFAIK "commutation" is precisely the 
correct term. Patch commutation is the source of patch algebra. Patch 
algebra (AFAIK) is just patch commutation.

I understand if you feel that "commutation" is too mathematical (I might 
disagree, but I understand). But I don't understand when you say that we 
can't substantiated. In particular, I don't see how "ordering" can be 
more easily substantiated than "commutation".

Putting this issue aside, if you like the term "patch reordering" I am 
willing to rewrite all my work based around that term. I just hope that 
we can make progress and not windup in a never-ending thread.


>  > * Smart - Thanks to its Patch Commutation feature, darcs lets you 
>  > cherrypick, merge, apply patches in different orders, ...
> 
> I don't see a real advantage here over

I don't object to your phrasing, and I'll be happy to bulk copy from 
what you wrote. That said, I think that it is useful to have a short, 
simple term to crystallize the feature in people's minds.


> So, the general principles I'm advocating here are that (1) people
> are going to find the identification of "implementation of behavior
> features" with "patch set" *intuitive*, and

Personally I don't think that emphasizing "sets" vs "sequences" will 
help. I think that a lot of people would find that simultaneously 
obscure and mathematical. Just say that darcs can apply patches in any 
order.

The other things you wrote in this paragraph sound good.


> This UI-based appeal seems a little dull if you've drunk the "patch
> theory" Kool-Aid, but the point of the home page and most related top
> pages is to appeal to those who haven't gotten on to patch theory yet.

Do notice that I have been trying to suggest alternate ways to convey 
what makes darcs special without saying "patch theory". Please give me 
some credit for that. We wouldn't be having this discussion if it 
weren't because I decided to help with documentation and remove patch 
theory from the front page.

Daniel.


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