Re: announce-gen -- not flexible enough

[Jim Meyering]

Alfred M. Szmidt wrote:
> announce-gen is lovley, but it is very inflexible if you use a
> different format for NEWS.
>
> In inetutils, we use something like:
>
> | December 27, 2008
> | Version 1.6:
> |
> | * Fixed FOO in BAR.
> |
> | * Added BAZ.
> | 
> | October 21, 2006
> | Version 1.5:
> |
> | ...
>
>
> I am not sure what a way one should fix announce-gen to be more
> flexible, maybe just being able to specify a `start' regexp, and a
> `end' regexp would be enough.  So in the above example, we could use
> something like:
>
>  --start-regexp="^Version " --end-regexp="^$"
>
> Or maybe just a switch to skip looking at NEWS, and add a `FIXME: Add
> noteworthy changes here' where the news entries go.
>
> Alas, I don't know enough perl to hack announce-gen.

Yes, it is rigid.
announce-gen started as a way to help automate some repetitive tasks.

Now, you see there is some benefit to conforming.

In a few projects (gzip, diff, grep), I've simply begun using the
format required by the tools that operate on NEWS.  Note that there
is at least one other tool that "knows" the form of NEWS entries:

  build-aux/do-release-commit-and-tag

Your options:
  - use the suggested format for new NEWS entries
  - insert that part of NEWS manually into your announcement email
  - change both announce-gen and do-release-commit-and-tag