Re: vc-dir default directory: repository root?

[João Távora]

Dmitry Gutov <address@hidden> writes:

> On 01/21/2015 10:14 PM, address@hidden (João Távora) wrote:
>
>> But then, isn't this an argument for following Git's default
>> behaviour of using the root dir??
>
> One can look at it in different ways, but I consider it an argument
> against CVS and SVN being special snowflakes.

How so? If the default behaviour of "svn status" and "git status"
differ, shouldn't vc-dir follow those defaults according to the backend,
so that it does-what-we-mean with a better chance? Isn't DWIM the idea
behind other commands like `vc-next-action` and such?

Wouldn't this appease the people who oppose this change because they use
CVS/SVN? Attached is a (slightly untested) patch to do this, in case I
am not making myself clear.

diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc-cvs.el b/lisp/vc/vc-cvs.el
index c1d32ce..e75dcb3 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc-cvs.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc-cvs.el
@@ -770,6 +770,10 @@ If UPDATE is non-nil, then update (resynch) any affected 
buffers."
     (re-search-forward "\\$[A-Za-z\300-\326\330-\366\370-\377]+\
 \\(: [\t -#%-\176\240-\377]*\\)?\\$" nil t)))
 
+(defun vc-cvs-default-status-dir ()
+  "For CVS, `vc-dir' should default to the current directory"
+  default-directory)
+
 
 ;;;
 ;;; Internal functions
diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc-dir.el b/lisp/vc/vc-dir.el
index c90bf1c..0644909 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc-dir.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc-dir.el
@@ -1215,6 +1215,17 @@ state of item at point, if any."
        (setq model (vc-checkout-model vc-dir-backend only-files-list))))
     (list vc-dir-backend files only-files-list state model)))
 
+(defun vc-dir-default-status-dir ()
+  "Provide a good default value for `vc-dir' prompt.
+Defaults to `vc-root-dir' if the backend doesn't implement this function."
+  (let ((backend (vc-deduce-backend)))
+    (if backend
+        (condition-case _err
+            (vc-call-backend backend 'default-status-dir)
+          (error
+           (vc-root-dir)))
+      (vc-root-dir))))
+
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun vc-dir (dir &optional backend)
   "Show the VC status for \"interesting\" files in and below DIR.
@@ -1241,7 +1252,7 @@ These are the commands available for use in the file 
status buffer:
     ;; Otherwise if you do C-x v d -> C-x C-f -> C-c v d
     ;; you may get a new *vc-dir* buffer, different from the original
     (file-truename (read-directory-name "VC status for directory: "
-                                       default-directory default-directory t
+                                       (vc-dir-default-status-dir) nil t
                                        nil))
     (if current-prefix-arg
        (intern
diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc-svn.el b/lisp/vc/vc-svn.el
index 5c87cab..80b12ea 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc-svn.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc-svn.el
@@ -256,6 +256,10 @@ RESULT is a list of conses (FILE . STATE) for directory 
DIR."
                newrev)
       (number-to-string newrev))))
 
+(defun vc-svn-default-status-dir ()
+  "For SVN, `vc-dir' should default to the current directory"
+  default-directory)
+
 
 ;;;
 ;;; State-changing functions