Repository Reference Rollup (was Re: Repository referencing in command lines)

[Vincent LADEUIL]

>>>>> "Denys" == Denys Duchier <duchier at ps.uni-sb.de> writes:

    Denys> Vincent LADEUIL <v.ladeuil at alplog.fr> writes: I don't
    Denys> get where repo:<repo_url>:<branch_name> is any
    Denys> different from <repo_url>/<branch_name>

    >>  8-/ Because both <repo_url> and <branch_name> can contain
    >> '/' ?  Because ':' can disambiguate in that case (and make
    >> things clearer for both user and the programmer ) ?

    Denys> To disambiguate, you'd need an ambiguity.  

1) Repo: foo/bar, Branch: baz/qux

2) Repo: foo, Branch: bar/baz/qux

leads to:

foo/bar/baz/qux is either 1 or 2

foo/bar:baz/qux is 1
foo:bar/baz/qux is 2

But  maybe I  don't understand  the allowed  syntax for  repo and
branch :-/

    Denys> The only ambiguity I can think of would be when you
    Denys> have nested repos: <repo1>/A/<repo2> and you want to
    Denys> create a new branch below <repo1>/A/<repo2> but with
    Denys> storage in <repo1>.  I hardly think we need to devise
    Denys> new syntax just for this unlikely case (that quite
    Denys> possibly won't be supported anyway).

    >> And easy to confuse with other paths representations
    >> (which you admit yourself by adding "Notice the .../
    >> prefix" :) (and ::<branch_name> is also easy to type and
    >> two characters shorter if you want to count :-)

    Denys> I am fine with :: and I believe that ^ was also
    Denys> mentioned.  My only point was that only a notation to
    Denys> say "figure it out" was needed, not a notation to
    Denys> specify a pair (repo,branch) because we already have
    Denys> repo/branch

As far as a character allowed in either repo or branch is used to
separate repo and branch, there can be ambiguity (at least in the
user mind).

And  if ':'  is needed  in  either repo  or branch  it should  be
protected  (but  people  are  already  used  to  protect  special
characters in URLs).

hth,

        Vincent