Re: Module idea to help developers

[Oliver Kiddle <opk@u.genie.co.uk>]

Bart Schaefer wrote:

> We could make a little module that implements a special array
> parameter `patches', and stick a line in that module to identify
> each patch

I'm not sure that it would be best implemented as a module - an
increasing amount of zsh seems to be written in shell code and you
wouldn't want to have to recompile the binary just to account for those
patches. It would be just as convenient if you used a simple text file
in the source area to list the patches.

> We'd need a convention of some kind -- either it could be up to the patch-
> applier to insert the article number by hand, or (better) the patch-maker
> should supply a hunk for that module that adds a string he's made up.  Such
> a hunk would be likely to fail if some prerequisite patch was not present

I think it would be rather awkward if the patch-maker had to include a
suitable hunk. Also, the patch-maker wouldn't know the message number so
the patch numbers couldn't correspond to message numbers.

How do you extract patches from e-mails - I'd be inclined to write a
filter which takes the message header to grab the message number and
puts it in a file. It can then also cut out the patch. It'd work quite
conveniently if you used z-mail or mush and their scripting.

> and PWS is apparently offline for an indeterminate time.  I was hoping
> for something quick but effective in the meantime.

If PWS is going to be away for a while then it might help a lot if
someone else releases an intermediate release. I rarely apply c-code
patches because it's not normally a long wait to the next pws release
but I had wanted to apply a couple of Sven's recent patches. I had
little success with this so I'll either have to get all the patches from
the archive or wait.

Oliver Kiddle