[wp-hackers] Switching from SVN

[Otto]

On Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 10:43 PM, scribu <mail at scribu.net> wrote:
> Otto, I think the only way you'll get it is by actually trying it out.
>
> Maybe start with Mercurial first, since it's command line interface is more
> similar to svn and has a very nice tutorial (already mentioned in this
> thread):
>
> http://hginit.com/
>
> Make sure to start at "Subversion Re-education" ;)

Already read that. Short version: He's wrong and I disagree with the
very first page of his argument. :)

Specifically, this:
"Every time you reach a logical point where your code is a little bit
better, you can commit it."

What? WHY?

Why would you need to check in unfinished code, ever? Put simply, that
doesn't make a lick of sense. And he doesn't bother to explain it
either. He does go on to point out the differences between merging a
set of several changes and merging two big lumps, but again, he never
bothers to explain why you'd ever check in gradually in the first
place. Am I supposed to stop every 10 lines and check in the code or
something? That doesn't make any sense at all.

When I write code, I sit down and start writing. As I write, I test
when appropriate. When I'm done writing and the code works, I stop.
There is no natural point anywhere in that process for me to check in
code. I don't check in half-written code. I don't write parts of code.
I know what I'm going to code before I ever write the first line.

Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm weird. I'll accept that. But I check in when
I'm done. And I'm done before I stop.

-Otto