Re: Terminology suggestion

[Keith Thompson]

Has the term "repository" been in use to refer to a single *,v file?
If so, I've never run across it.  Can you cite a reference?

CVS, on the other hand, consistently uses the term "repository"
to refer to an entire directory tree.  Quoting the CVS "info"
documentation:

    The CVS "repository" stores a complete copy of all the files and
    directories which are under version control.

And the latest RCS documentation has this:

    `RCSfile'
         The basename of the repository file.

I'll also note that the CVS documentation refers to individual *,v
files either as "history files" or, more commonly, as "RCS files".
Since compatibility with CVS terminology is important, perhaps the term
"RCS file" should be kept.  Or maybe "history file" would be better.

It might be worth discussing this with the CVS folks.

On Tue 10-06-22 16:45, Cannon, Alastair, VF UK, Partner wrote:
>  Hi,
> 
> can I ask just what is confusing about the term 'repository'?
> 
> It has been used for years - if it isnt broke don't fix it!
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> 
> () Keith Thompson <address@hidden>
> () Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:09:54 -0700
> 
>    I suggest that the phrase "repository file" would be less confusing
>    than the word "repository".  I tend to think of an RCS directory and
>    its contents as a "repository", and I'm sure I'm not alone in this.
>    This would also be more consistent with the CVS documentation's use
>    of the term "repository".
> 
> Thanks for the feedback.  I think "repository file" sounds fine, too,
> and backwards (forward, sideways) consistency with CVS is a good idea.
> 
> What do you think about changing the diagnostic/error messages?
> 
> On the one hand, RCS 5.7 has been out so long that i can imagine tools
> breaking if they're doing string comparisons on those messages.
> On the other hand, such tools earn low marks for doing that and such
> breakage might encourage them to be upgraded more sooner than later.
> 
> Hmmmm.
> 
> thi

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) address@hidden  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
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