[documentation] -- versus - in "new release" system

[Andre Molnar]

Derek Wright wrote:
> i'm not saying a) the docs are perfect or b) that you're an idiot.  i'd
> love to see the docs improve, and if you're confused, i'm sure you're
> not the only one.  but, "i don't get it, we should just use SVN" is
> counter-productive feedback on 2 counts. ;)

I think you *might* be calling me an idiot - but that's okay - I can be
one at times (I joke - but not about me being an idiot sometimes).

1) Ber says 'hey we've got lots of duplicated concepts here - not sure
what I'm supposed to be doing under the new tagging scheme - can we fix
this by doing a couple of things' (paraphrased).

2) You tell him - yeah there may be problems, but the problems you call
problems aren't problems - "all clear?"

3) I said no - I got confused reading it - I'm not sure exactly what I
could do to fix it because I'm not sure whats broken since I don't get
it.  Then I joked - lets use SVN because I could actually help write the
docs for that (i.e. I could say what commands to issue in what order to
achieve objective x, y or zed).

Version control and release management are simple concepts.

            /--Branch ->(experimental branch - may merge or may die)
           /    --Branch --> (continues may merge WILL die)
          /    /     (bug fix branch to tagged work)
         /    --Tagged (Static snapshot).
---Head /----/----------> (continues over time) ---->
     (leading edge of development)

Drupal.org runs release scripts at regular intervals on tags and
dev-branches - and maybe even head (maybe i missed that in the docs).

In CVS and the drupal release system I am unclear about a) switching
between working copies locally - or maintaining multiple working
copies(head, branch1, branch2) b) what action needs to be taken if any
on the project page and at what point c) what happens if I accidentally
mess up the contrib repo.

a) is really a RTFM question - but a coles notes version on drupal might
help.
b) there is information on this - but I'm still unclear
c) you've kind of answered this saying 'don't worry - it'd be hard for
you mess something up' - well maybe the docs need to explain that -
perhaps a 'So, you've managed to hopelessly mess up the entire contrib repo'

andre