Re: .cvsignore file being ignored

[Greg A. Woods]

[ On Thursday, June 5, 2003 at 11:42:37 (-0700), Peschko, Edward wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: .cvsignore file being ignored
>
> But that's what I don't understand. The idea behind .cvsblock (or TYPES or 
> whatever) is to be able 
> to *customize* the software to be able to exclude files.

What you don't understand is that this decision was made a long time
ago. 

CVS already provides a way to *customize* the software to be able to
exclude files.  It's called the "ignore" list and it is customized with
the .cvsignore file and the '-I' command-line option.  However this
particular choice of implementation requires that there be a way to
explicitly track changes to specified files that would otherwise be
ignored, and that is done with the "cvs add" command.  If you want CVS
to continue to ignore some of your files then don't add them!  RTFM!

> You don't need to use it!

You can not have it both ways.  I.e. you cannot have an "ignore" list
that blocks and a "block" list that ignores.  The decision about how CVS
works was made when the "ignore" list was chosen and now that's the way
CVS works.  Like it or lump it.

If you really want it the other way around, and embedded directly in the
main program instead of in some wrapper or front-end, then I humbly
suggest you fork CVS, call your version "SVC" or something, and do it
your way.  CVS is "free" software, as in "free speech".

> Why the resistance to what would be a trivial feature?

It's not a "trivial feature" -- it is a complete and utter reversal of
the current mechanism of handling file lists for "cvs add".

If you don't understand that then you must really not understand the
full implications of wildcard filename expansion at the shell level.

Why don't you try approaching your shell vendor and ask them to
implement your feature for you at the shell level where you seem to want
it to be?  That way CVS will never see any filenames that you don't want
it to see.  Good luck.

-- 
                                                                Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098;            <address@hidden>;           <address@hidden>
Planix, Inc. <address@hidden>; VE3TCP; Secrets of the Weird <address@hidden>