Re: update-copyright local hook

[Jim Meyering]

Eric Blake wrote:

> According to Jim Meyering on 8/15/2009 2:37 AM:
>>> It changed a bit due to the merge; here's what I'm pushing.
>
> I haven't pushed yet, in case we decide something different...
>
>> ...
>>>     grep -l -w Copyright $$($(VC_LIST_EXCEPT))              \
>>> -     | grep -v -E '$(update-copyright-exclude-regexp)'     \
>>> +           $(srcdir)/ChangeLog | grep -v COPYING           \
>>>       | $(update-copyright-env) xargs $(build_aux)/$@
>>
>> Adding back in the top level ChangeLog file is good.
>> Do you think we should try to add back any other ChangeLog files?
>
> VC_LIST_EXCEPT is funny.  If .x-update-copyright does not exist, then all
> ChangeLog files except the top level are excluded (and the post-processing
> in update-copyright then excludes COPYING variants).  But if
> .x-update-copyright exists, then all files not explicitly excluded are
> candidates, including other ChangeLog files (so if you want to add files
> but preserve the behavior of excluding rotated ChangeLogs, then
> .x-update-copyright must explicitly list 'ChangeLog.').  About the only
> way I can see to include all ChangeLog by default, but still honor the
> file .x-update-copyright, is to inline the bulk of the VC_LIST_EXCEPT
> macro directly in the update-copyright rule but without the ChangeLog
> exception.

Obviously not worth duplicating code.
I was thinking about projects with active ChangeLog files in
subdirectories, e.g. gcc, emacs, glibc (not rotated ones).