Re: [Monotone-devel] Re: Ideas and questions.

[Jon Bright]

Richard Levitte - VMS Whacker wrote:
> In message <address@hidden> on Thu, 17 Feb 2005 13:00:45 +0100, Jon Bright 
> <address@hidden> said:
>
> jon> It should be short if it's not .-prefixed, to avoid widening ls
> jon> listings.  If it's .-prefixed, it should still be not-insanely-long - 
> jon> Windows doesn't hide things with . prefixes.  My personal preference 
> jon> would probably be ".monotone", which I think describes it fine and 
> jon> shouldn't inconvenience anyone.
>
> Let me repeat once more: .-prefixing is a bad idea outside the Unix
> world.  If monotone is supposed to be portable to other systems, don't
> use .-prefixing.

It's fine in the Windows world, as far as I know - it doesn't have the 
same effect, but I've yet to see it causing problems.  OK, it might be 
bad for OpenVMS and who knows what else - these systems should perhaps 
use a name adapted to their own conventions.  But .-prefixing is so 
useful in the Unix world that I think it would be a shame not to use it 
there just because OpenVMS doesn't support it.

Is there any reason not to use different metadata directory names on 
different systems?  Given that most people will only ever see one or two 
of Unix|Windows, which can both use .monotone, most people get the 
benefit, while OpenVMS can use its own convention and isn't damaged by 
the convention elsewhere?

--
Jon Bright
Silicon Circus Ltd.
http://www.siliconcircus.com