Changes between Initial Version and Version 1 of TracDiff

Timestamp:

Jun 7, 2005, 10:02:18 AM (19 years ago)

Author:

Christian Boos

Comment:

Documentation for the Diff module

TracDiff

@@ +1 @@
+= Trac Diff Module =
+
+''Note 1: this is an new feature, quickly maturing in the source:branches/cboos-dev/anydiff-branch development branch.''
+
+''Note 2: this is a prototype for the feature documentation. It will eventually be merged with the TracChangeset documentation page''.
+
+== The Different Ways of to Prepare a Diff ==
+
+=== Examining Differences Between Revisions ===
+
+A very frequent need is to look at changes made on a file 
+or on a directory spanning multiple revisions. 
+In the TracLog view, one can select the '''old''' and the '''new'''
+revision of the path being examined, and then select the '''Diff'''
+operation.
+
+=== Examining Arbitrary Differences ===
+
+One of the main feature of source configuration management
+systems is the possibility to work simultaneously on alternate
+''Lines of Developments'', or ''branches''. 
+The evolution of branches are often made in parallel, making it
+sometimes difficult to understand the exact set of differences 
+between alternative versions.
+
+This is where Trac comes to the rescue: the TracBrowser
+allows any path in the repository, at any given revision
+to be selected as the ''Base for Diff'', 
+i.e. the '''old''' file (or directory) which 
+can be compared to any other existing '''new''' 
+path/revision pair.
+
+The resulting set of differences consist in the changes 
+that would be necessary to make on the ''Base'' in order
+to make it look like the target of the comparison.
+
+For convenience, it is possible to invert the roles
+for the '''old''' and the '''new''' path/revision pairs.
+
+=== Checking the Last Changes ===
+
+The last possibility for looking at changes is 
+to have a quick look on the ''Previous Diff'' while
+browsing a file or a directory. 
+
+This shows the relevant TracChangeset information, but
+restricted to the path being browsed, and with a link
+to the next ''Previous Diff'', making it convenient to
+look at the history of the changes for a given path.
+
+''TO BE DONE''
+
+== Looking at the Differences ==
+
+See TracChangeset for now, as the display is very similar.
+
+Except:
+ * the Changeset information is shown only for the last mode
+   (''Checking the Last Changes'')
+ * the path and revision information for the individual files
+   being examined are those corresponding to their creation
+   (''created path/created rev''). This helps to discover which
+   side is the ''real'' old file while examining parallel
+   lines of development.
+
+In relation to the latest point, I'm thinking about providing
+a checkbox for each file entry in order to generate a ''diff''
+containing only the selected changes (''cherry-picking support'').
+
+
+== Feedback ==
+
+''Please feel free to add your observations''
+