Re: The fixes-bug field

[Stefan Monnier]

> I'd suggest extending this to (fixes bug#16372).  That way you can refer
> to bugs without saying that you've fixed them.  (I.e., the syntax is
> (<command> bug#number [optional stuff]).)

When we started using such bug#NNN in the ChangeLog (and commit logs)
I indeed wanted to use to mean "fixes bug NNN", even hoping that we
could write some commit hook that would automatically close the bug.

But in practice, I'm often not actually sure that the patch will fix the
bug when I commit it (e.g. because the recipe given in the bug-report
is clearly a subcase of the OP's real life problem, so I can't be sure
the real life problem will be fixed as well).

IOW, in many/most situations I only find out after committing that the
patch really fixes the bug.  So it would work if the "fixes bug#NNN" can
be added via something like "git notes", but it won't work well in the
commit message itself.


        Stefan