[darcs-users] How to develop on a (GHC) branch with darcs

[Yitzchak Gale]

Iavor Diatchki wrote:
> I use git for a lot of my development...
> Given the responses though, it sounds like this is a well
> known problem with darcs with no obvious solution.

Why do you say there is no obvious solution? In fact, Ganesh,
representing the Darcs team, responded:

>> 1) a darcs rebase command... very much hope to have it
>> in the next darcs release. Simon M has already tried out
>> an experimental version and was quite positive about it...

>> 2) multi-branch repos... perhaps the release after next...

>> 3) Better performance when there are conflicts...
   [by upgrading GHC to v2 patches]

>> 4) Better UI around managing conflicts...

>> 5) new patch types that reduce the number of conflicts
>> you get at all

Some of those are already in the works, and all except possibly
(5) are known to be within reach. So the answer is yes, this
problem is now on the verge of being solved in Darcs.
After focusing mostly on performance for a while and achieving
huge gains, the Darcs team has turned a significant portion of
its attention to the branching problem for some time now, and the
fruits of this labor will begin to become available in the next release.

VCS discussions tend to spark religious wars in which
zealous proponents of one system conveniently ignore
the positive points of another in order to push as hard as
possible for the adoption of their darling.

Standing somewhat on the outside, it seems to me that
the discussion about switching VCS has been more than
thoroughly exhausted. Even when Darcs was in a far
less advanced state than it is in now, the conclusion seemed
to be that the best interests of the Haskell community at
large are served by remaining with Darcs. So it would be a bit
strange if this branching issue, which is a serious issue
currently but will likely become a non-issue in a few months time,
triggers GHC to abandon Darcs.

On the other hand, I suppose GHC HQ can't afford to have
a revolt on their hands. So if the majority of people doing the
actual work on GHC want to change to git and are willing to put
in the effort to make the change, it will probably happen regardless.

Regards,
Yitz