Re: refactoring when using CVS

[Mark]

--- Kaz Kylheku <address@hidden> wrote:
> In article <address@hidden>, Tom Plunket wrote:
> >I haven't found myself renaming files much, quite honestly.  How
> >does CVS deal with file deletions and additions?  That's the way
> >I'd prefer to go over renaming anyway.
> 
> Deleting and adding creates a new object, which has no relationship
> to the old. Suppose someone is working on the old one in parallel and
> now wants to merge. But oops, you have removed it.  In a version control
> system that supports true renaming, this isn't a problem. The merge
> will happily go to the file under its new name.

I really haven't read/found  much about the details/mechanics of refactoring,
but maybe a response to these statements might make things clearer to me about
what the results of refactoring are on the version control tool activities:

- if someone is working on file A on branch 1 and someone else refactors file A
on branch 2, what good is a merge, using CC or CVS? Wouldn't the person doing
the merge have to collect/identify the changes on branch 1 and then figure out
where they go on the new refactored file on branch 2? (I know, functionally you
can make the tool merge the file, but wouldn't that person have to stop and
learn how things are in the refactored world to then be able to intelligently
integrate needed changes in properly? How close to (or more difficult) is this
to/than dual maintenance?)

- if the above merging example issue isn't really an issue in refactoring, and
refactoring is limited to renaming of existing files only (not adding/removing
files), and you refactor alot for some reason, then CC may be required to keep
up with the way development is done. (but wouldn't CC be overkill in an XP
environment of 2-12 developers, and wouldn't refactoring in large efforts be
counter productive with all the constant re-learning?) Can you refactor without
renaming files? How does refactoring come up with better names for files (which
need to be the class names in java)?

- if refactoring creates/removes files, then how can CC or CVS help. If file A
above is refactored off of branch 1, then how can a merge of changes from file
A on branch 1 to branch 2 be done? How would CC or CVS know where to merge the
changes to the class(es) in file A, if the classes are no longer in file A on
branch 2? Does refactoring create/remove files?

Thanks for any clarifications to my misunderstandings. :)

Mark


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