Open Stack

While I completely understand the rationale for this approach, I'm not a fan. As you say, it's harder to spot dead code, code may be introduced into trunk without tests, rollbacks are harder (if not near impossible), reviewers have to go back and look at other merges to get the big picture, etc. 

Single code drop per blueprint. If you want multiple drops, partition the blueprint into smaller, more digestible units (as with suspend being split into suspend + lock or guest-requirements into 3-4 dependent blueprints).

$0.02

-Sandy


________________________________________
From: openstack-bounces+sandy.walsh=rackspace.com at lists.launchpad.net [openstack-bounces+sandy.walsh=rackspace.com at lists.launchpad.net] on behalf of Thierry Carrez [thierry at openstack.org]
Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2010 4:15 AM
To: openstack at lists.launchpad.net
Subject: [Openstack] Merging baby steps or full branches

Hello everyone,

There was some discussion yesterday around Josh's
diagnostics-per-instance branch merge proposal [1] and on IRC [2]
afterwards. In summary, Josh uses baby steps branch merge proposals,
landing part of the feature as soon as it is ready.

[1]
https://code.launchpad.net/~jk0/nova/diagnostics-per-instance/+merge/44394

[2] http://eavesdrop.openstack.org/irclogs/%23openstack.2010-12-22.log
(see around 17:43:50)

On the plus side, this technique allows simpler reviews and reduces the
risks of conflict, so it probably ends up being faster. On the minus
side, it's hard to functionally review or test something that is not
complete, so the load on reviewers is, I think, higher.

Do we have a position on that ? Is it encouraged, discouraged, or nobody
cares either way ?

My personal take on it is that we should discourage it, since we face
the risk of releasing half-implemented features (a database schema
without anything using it). Features in development can easily be tested
in specific branches until they are complete enough to integrate trunk
(that's what branches are for, after all). This is with my release
manager hat on, obviously: I'm not in any of the -core teams though, and
would like to hear your thoughts on the matter :)

--
Thierry Carrez (ttx)
Release Manager, OpenStack

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