Re: [PATCH 2/2] Add a remote helper to interact with mediawiki (fetch & push)

From: Matthieu Moy <Matthieu.Moy@grenoble-inp.fr>
To: Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>
Cc: Sverre Rabbelier <srabbelier@gmail.com>,
	Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>,
	git@vger.kernel.org,
	Jeremie Nikaes <jeremie.nikaes@ensimag.imag.fr>,
	Arnaud Lacurie <arnaud.lacurie@ensimag.imag.fr>,
	Claire Fousse <claire.fousse@ensimag.imag.fr>,
	David Amouyal <david.amouyal@ensimag.imag.fr>,
	Ramkumar Ramachandra <artagnon@gmail.com>,
	Dmitry Ivankov <divanorama@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/2] Add a remote helper to interact with mediawiki (fetch & push)
Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:54:04 +0200	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <vpqobz53ig3.fsf@bauges.imag.fr> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20110830035608.GB6647@elie.gateway.2wire.net> (Jonathan Nieder's message of "Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:56:08 -0500")

Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com> writes:

> Here's an old attempt to make the documentation a little easier to read,
> and hopefully also to add to.

Thanks, that helps. I wish we had all this earlier ;-).

> +Git sends the remote helper a list of commands on standard input, one
> +per line.  The first command is always the 'capabilities' command, 

Do we want to set this in stone? Wouldn't a Git implementation calling
"option" before "capabilities" be correct?

> +Capabilities
> +~~~~~~~~~~~~

(perhaps name the section "Overview of Capabilities"?)

[...]
> +'refspec' <refspec>::
> +	This modifies the 'import' capability, allowing the produced
> +	fast-import stream to modify refs in a private namespace
> +	instead of writing to refs/heads or refs/remotes directly.
> +	It is recommended that all importers providing the 'import'
> +	capability use this.
> ++
> +A helper advertising the capability
> +`refspec refs/heads/{asterisk}:refs/svn/origin/branches/{asterisk}`
> +is saying that, when it is asked to `import refs/heads/topic`, the
> +stream it outputs will update the `refs/svn/origin/branches/topic`
> +ref.
> ++
> +This capability can be advertised multiple times.  The first
> +applicable refspec takes precedence.  The left-hand of refspecs
> +advertised with this capability must cover all refs reported by
> +the list command.  If no 'refspec' capability is advertised,
> +there is an implied `refspec {asterisk}:{asterisk}`.

Since this "Capabilities" section is meant to be an overview, I'd
shorten this to

+'refspec' <refspec>::
+	This modifies the 'import' capability, allowing the produced
+	fast-import stream to modify refs in a private namespace
+	instead of writing to refs/heads or refs/remotes directly.

and drop the detailed explanation here.

> +Capabilities for Fetching
> +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[...]
> +'refspec' <refspec>::
> +	This modifies the 'import' capability.

Since this would be the "detailed explanation" part, this is the one
readers will read more carefully, so I'd put the recommandation right
here:

+	It is recommended that all importers providing the 'import'
+	capability use this.

and of course, keep this:

> ++
> +A helper advertising
> +`refspec refs/heads/{asterisk}:refs/svn/origin/branches/{asterisk}`
> +in its capabilities is saying that, when it handles
> +`import refs/heads/topic`, the stream it outputs will update the
> +`refs/svn/origin/branches/topic` ref.
> ++
> +This capability can be advertised multiple times.  The first
> +applicable refspec takes precedence.  The left-hand of refspecs
> +advertised with this capability must cover all refs reported by
> +the list command.  If no 'refspec' capability is advertised,
> +there is an implied `refspec {asterisk}:{asterisk}`.
> +

-- 
Matthieu Moy
http://www-verimag.imag.fr/~moy/