[Top][All Lists]
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin
From: |
Stephen J. Turnbull |
Subject: |
Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin |
Date: |
Mon, 06 Dec 2004 12:16:40 +0900 |
User-agent: |
Gnus/5.1006 (Gnus v5.10.6) XEmacs/21.5 (chayote, linux) |
>>>>> "Andrew" == Andrew Suffield <address@hidden> writes:
>> There has been discussion of binary diffs a while back, but I
>> don't remember quite what came out of it.
Andrew> Arch already has the only kind of binary diff that is
Andrew> possible. It would be possible to compress the changesets
Andrew> better [...].
True, but not a very helpful way to express it.
Summary: "binary" files are not readable by humans or programs, so you
can't expect their "diffs" to be either. The only thing a "binary"
diff is useful for is exact patching, ie, replacing an exact copy of
the "old" file with an exact copy of the "new" file. Arch implements
this by storing a copy of each. If the old file in the target
workspace is identical to the old file in the archive, then it is
replaced with the new file by using "cp" (or the equivalent) rather
than "patch" or the xdelta equivalent. Thus, archives are larger than
theoretically necessary, but Arch does implement binary diffing and
patching as accurately as is possible.
I hope I didn't spoil your day, Andrew. ;-)
--
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp
University of Tsukuba Tennodai 1-1-1 Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN
Ask not how you can "do" free software business;
ask what your business can "do for" free software.
- Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin, (continued)
- Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin,
Stephen J. Turnbull <=
- Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin, Thomas Lord, 2004/12/06
- [Gnu-arch-users] Re: Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin, Stefan Monnier, 2004/12/06
- Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin, Florian Weimer, 2004/12/06
- [Gnu-arch-users] Re: Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin, Stefan Monnier, 2004/12/06
- [Gnu-arch-users] Re: Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin, Charles Duffy, 2004/12/06
- Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin, Bruce Stephens, 2004/12/06
- [Gnu-arch-users] Re: Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin, Charles Duffy, 2004/12/06
- Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Re: Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin, Aaron Bentley, 2004/12/06
- Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Re: Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin, Bruce Stephens, 2004/12/06
- [Gnu-arch-users] Re: Re: Arch Versus CVS Versus Subversoin, Charles Duffy, 2004/12/06