Re: maintaining advanced power-user Scheme functions

[Phil Holmes]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Janek Warchoł" <address@hidden>
To: "Phil Holmes" <address@hidden>
Cc: "Thomas Morley" <address@hidden>; "lilypond-user" 
<address@hidden>; "Phil Hézaine" <address@hidden>; "David 
Nalesnik" <address@hidden>; "LilyPond Developmet Team" 
<address@hidden>
Sent: Monday, August 19, 2013 3:17 PM
Subject: Re: maintaining advanced power-user Scheme functions


> Hi,
>
> some things were already answered by other people
>
> 2013/8/19 Phil Holmes <address@hidden>:
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Janek Warchol"
> >> A valid concern, but i have a counterargument: there is a web
> >> interface for git that allows you to copy-and-paste code directly in,
> >> or alternatively to type it directly in. Both are quite simple and
> >> quick. This doesn't require installing a new program and learning how
> >> to use it.
> >>
> >> It's github.
> >
> > I've never used the web interface, but I'm prepared to believe it's 
> > quick
> > and easy if you say it is. However, my other opposition to git for this
> > purpose is that it's intended as a Version Control system, which is
> > completely unnecessary for the LSR - that's just a simple database of 
> > text,
> > with no version control needed.
>
> Someone once said "if you have a project and it will take you more
> than an hour to recreate it from scratch, it should be under version
> control".
> It may not be apparent why this is so, but the experience confirms it.

The LSR is not a project, it's a collection of text objects.  A simple 
database is the best place for a collection of text objects.

> > If you would actually try the LSR, you'll see it's equally quick to 
> > enter
> > snippets - each takes a few seconds or a minute at most. All that you 
> > need
> > to do is type the snippet (or paste it) and a description - you can't do
> > _less_ with any other system.
>
> Can i do it offline?

You can't update any remote system offline - git or the LSR.

> > What do you find so time-consuming?
>
> with current system, as far as i know, i would have to check all these
> snippets to make sure that they compile with required LilyPond
> version, and also i don't know of a way to add 'experimental'
> snippets. For example, i'm doing something and i find an interesting
> solution, but it only works with current git master and is somewhat
> hackish - but still useful, at least for advanced users. I'd like to
> be able to add it under some "draft" or "experimental" category.
> This isn't related to git, actually - although using git makes
> everything more maintainable in my experience. For example, i could
> have my own branch containing some private snippets, and easily merge
> them when they're ready. Also, assume that i grab all these snippets
> from my emails and paste them into one big "chaos here" folder (i
> believe that it's better to have unfinished stuff saved somewhere -
> just clearly separated from the "clean" stuff - rather than don't have
> it at all). Having git underneath would be a safety net if someone
> decides that this wasn't actually a good idea to paste all that stuff
> there.

What you've described there is a set of odd bits of code that are badly 
structured and with no clear idea of what they do ("chaos here" is not good 
documentation practice).  Putting them in a git repo would not make them any 
more suitable for our documentation system than putting them in the LSR. 
For your own use - fine.

The LSR is intended to allow non-power users the ability to contribute 
lilypond code to other users and potentially our documentation.  As such, it 
performs a useful service.  I cannot imagine why you want to go to all the 
work of reimplmenting something that fundamentally works using completly 
different technology.  It would be a massive waste of time.

--
Phil Holmes