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Terminology of the obsolete concept

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Obsolete markers

---------------------------------

The mutable concept is based on **obsolete markers**. Creating an obsolete

marker registers a relation between an old obsoleted changeset and its newer

version.

Old changesets are called **precursors** while their new versions are called

**successors**. A marker always registers a single *precursor* and:

- no *successor*: the *precursor* is just discarded.

- one *successor*: the *precursor* has been rewritten

- multiple *successors*: the *precursor* were splits in multiple

  changesets.

.. The *precursors* and *successors* terms can be used on changeset directy:

.. :precursors: of a changeset `A` are changesets used as *precursors* by

..              obsolete marker using changeset `A` as *successors*

.. :successors: of a changeset `B` are changesets used as *successors* by

..              obsolete marker using changeset `B` as *precursors*

Chaining obsolete markers is allowed to rewrite a changeset that is already a

*successor*. This is a kind of *second order version control*.

To clarify ambiguous situations one can use **direct precursors** or

**direct successors** to name changesets that are directly related.

The set of all *obsolete markers* forms a direct acyclic graph the same way

standard *parents*/*children* relation does. In this graph we have:

:any precursors: are transitive precursors of a changeset: *direct precursors*

                 and *precursors* of *precursors*.

:any successors: are transitive successors of a changeset: *direct successors*

                 and *successors*  of *successors*)

Obsolete markers may refer changesets that are not known locally.

So, *direct precursors* of a changeset may be unknown locally.

This is why we usually focus on the **first known precursors**  of the rewritten

changeset. The same apply for *successors*.

Changeset in *any successors* which are not **obsolete** are called

**newest successors**..

.. note:: I'm not very happy with this naming scheme and I'm looking for a

          better distinction between *direct successors* and **any successors*.

Possible changesets "type"

---------------------------------

The following table describes names and behaviors of changesets affected by

obsolete markers. The left column describes generic categories and the right

columns are about sub-categories.

+---------------------+--------------------------+-----------------------------+

| **mutable**         | **obsolete**             | **extinct**                 |

|                     |                          |                             |

| Changeset in either | Obsolete changeset is    | *extinct* changeset is      |

| *draft* or *secret* | *mutable* used as a      | *obsolete* which has only   |

| phase.              | *precursor*.             | *obsolete* descendants.     |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     | A changeset is used as   | They can safely be:         |

|                     | a *precursor* when at    |                             |

|                     | least one obsolete       | - hidden in the UI,         |

|                     | marker refers to it      | - silently excluded from    |

|                     | as precursors.           |   pull and push operations  |

|                     |                          | - mostly ignored            |

|                     |                          | - garbage collected         |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     |                          +-----------------------------+

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     |                          | **suspended**               |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     |                          | *suspended* changeset is    |

|                     |                          | *obsolete* with at least    |

|                     |                          | one non-obsolete descendant |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     |                          | Thoses descendants prevent  |

|                     |                          | properties of extincts      |

|                     |                          | changesets to apply. But    |

|                     |                          | they will refuse to be      |

|                     |                          | pushed without --force.     |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     +--------------------------+-----------------------------+

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     | **troublesome**          | **unstable**                |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     | *troublesome* has        | *unstable* is a changeset   |

|                     | unresolved issue caused  | with obsolete ancestors.    |

|                     | by *obsolete* relations. |                             |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     | Possible issues are      | It must be rebased on a     |

|                     | listed in the next       | non *troublesome* base to   |

|                     | column. It is possible   | solve the problem.          |

|                     | for *troublesome*        |                             |

|                     | changeset to combine     | (possible alternative name: |

|                     | multiple issue at once.  | precarious)                 |

|                     | (a.k.a. conflicting and  |                             |

|                     | unstable)                +-----------------------------+

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     | (possible alternative    | **latecomer**               |

|                     | names: unsettled,        |                             |

|                     | troubled)                | *latecomer* is a changeset  |

|                     |                          | that tries to be successor  |

|                     |                          | of  public changesets.      |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     |                          | Public changeset can't      |

|                     |                          | be deleted and replace      |

|                     |                          | *latecomer*                 |

|                     |                          | need to be converted into   |

|                     |                          | an overlay to this public   |

|                     |                          | changeset.                  |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     |                          | (possible alternative names:|

|                     |                          | mislead, naive, unaware,    |

|                     |                          | mindless, disenchanting)    |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     |                          +-----------------------------+

|                     |                          | **conflicting**             |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     |                          | *conflicting* is changeset  |

|                     |                          | that appears when multiple  |

|                     |                          | changesets are successors   |

|                     |                          | of the same precursor.      |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     |                          | *conflicting* are solved    |

|                     |                          | through a three ways merge  |

|                     |                          | between the two             |

|                     |                          | *conflictings*,             |

|                     |                          | using the last "obsolete-   |

|                     |                          | -common-ancestor" as the    |

|                     |                          | base.                       |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     |                          | (*splitting* is             |

|                     |                          | properly not detected as a  |

|                     |                          | conflict)                   |

|                     |                          |                             |

|                     +--------------------------+-----------------------------+

|                     |                                                        |

|                     | Mutable changesets which are neither *obsolete* or     |

|                     | *troublesome* are *"ok"*.                              |

|                     |                                                        |

|                     | Do we really need a name for it ? *"ok"* is a pretty   |

|                     | crappy name :-/ other possibilities are:               |

|                     |                                                        |

|                     | - stable (confusing with stable branch)                |

|                     | - sane                                                 |

|                     | - healthy                                              |

|                     |                                                        |

+---------------------+--------------------------------------------------------+

|                                                                              |

|     **immutable**                                                            |

|                                                                              |

| Changesets in the *public* phases.                                           |

|                                                                              |

| Rewriting operation refuse to work on immutable changeset.                   |

|                                                                              |

| Obsolete markers that refer an immutable changeset as precursors have        |

| no effect on the precussors but may have effect on the successors.           |

|                                                                              |

| When a *mutable* changeset becomes *immutable* (changing its phase from draft|

| to public) it is just *immutable* and loose any property of it's former      |

| state.                                                                       |

|                                                                              |

| The phase properties says that public changesets stay as *immutable* forever.|

|                                                                              |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

.. note:: I'm not very happy with the naming of:

          - "ok" changeset

          - latecomer

          - troublesome

          Any better idea are welcome.

Command and operation name

---------------------------------

Existing terms

``````````````

Mercurial core already uses the following terms:

:amend: to rewrite a changeset

:graft: to copy a changeset

:rebase: to move a changeset

Uncommit

`````````````

Remove files from a commit (and leave them as dirty in the working directory)

The *evolve* extension have an `uncommit` command that aims to replace most

`rollback` usage.

Fold

``````````

Collapse multiple changesets into a unique one.

The *evolve* extension will have a `fold` command.

Prune

``````````

Make a changeset obsolete without successors.

This an important operation as it should mostly replace *strip*.

Alternative names:

- kill: shall has funny effects when you forget "hg" in front of ``hg kill``.

- obsolete: too vague, too long and too generic.

Stabilize

```````````````

Automatically resolve *troublesome* changesets

(*unstable*, *latecomer* and *conflicting*)

This is an important name as hg pull/push will suggest it the same way it

suggest merging when you add heads.

I do not like stabilize much.

alternative names:

- solve (too generic ?)

- evolve (too vague)