Re: CVS and Jar files: Should you import Jar into the Repository? Why or why not

[Matthew Herrmann]

Hi All,

I think in this discussion it comes down to useability. The key idea is that
CVS is a solution for versioning binary files, but not a _scalable_ solution
for versioning binary files. It can handle them in bits and pieces. All this
means is that if you are a purist, then you will reject binary files of any
shape or form from the word go. If you are a pragmatist, you'll add a couple
and hope you don't get too many more.

The basic measure of whether you should import binary files into a
repository is whether or not you find it annoying. Text files are transfered
very quickly over remote connections, and binary files can take a long
time -- just to confirm that in fact they hadn't changed (when date stamps
get out of whack). If you're on a local network, then this probably doesn't
matter. If you're working remotely, then you'll quickly get very frustrated.
And I recommend that when it frustrates you, change it. If it doesn't annoy
you -- why bother?

My advice is to go with the pragmatic solution and put in the little
blah.ico files your project needs, but be aware that when this grows, you'll
need to make some sort of script that compares file size (as an easy way)
for your required binaries and puts up a message if they're too big. It
could also store an FTP url in a mergeable text file which the user can
refer to when they discover that their binary files are incorrect. (This
could even be automated)

So, there's no need for the religious war. People should simply be aware of
the limitations, and accept that when a non-scalable solution is chosen,
they may need to change paradigm after a certain size. (CF: "Why can't I
support more than 100 simultaneous users with Access 2000?" Which still
doesn't rule out Access as a backend for small non-critical database jobs.)

Regards,

Matthew Herrmann
--------------------------------------
Far Edge Technology
Level 11, 80 Mount St
North Sydney NSW 2060
Australia

Ph: 02 9955 3640
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