Re: [PATCH 2/2] Add keyword unexpansion support to convert.c

David Lang [off-list ref] writes:

quoted

But with keyword expansion and fancier "external tools" whose
semantics are not well defined (iow, defined to be "do whatever
they please"), does it still make sense to consider two blobs
that appear in totally different context "the same" and omit
checking out (and causing the external tools hook not getting
run)?  I already pointed out to Andy that the branch name the
file was taken from, if it were to take part of the keyword
expansion, would come out incorrectly in his printed svg
drawing.

this is part of the rope you are handing out. the external tool could
do a lot of things that don't make sense. you could have the tool
include the serial number of the cpu you happen to be running on at
the moment, it wouldn't make sense to do this, but it could be
done. the fact that the rope could be used to hang someone doesn't
mean that you should outlaw rope.

I do not think you understand, especially after reading the part
you say "Andy and I both...".

The point of my comment was that with Andy's definition of when
the "external tools" should trigger, that CPU serial number
embedder would _NOT_ trigger for a path when you switch branches
that have the same contents at that path.  External tools can do
stupid things and that is what you are calling the rope.  But
the case I am talking about is that we deliberately do _not_
call external tools, so even if external tools can do sensible
things if given a chance to, they are not given a chance to do
so, and deciding not to call them in some cases is made by us.
I think that's different from "we gave you rope, you hang
yourself and that is not our problem".

People have every right to say "if you consistently call these
external tools, they behave sensibly, but you only call them
when you choose, and that is where the idiocy is coming from".
How would you respond to that?