Re: Fwd: possible Improving diff algoritm

Morten Welinder [off-list ref] writes:

Is there a reason why picking among the choices in a sliding window
must be contents neutral?

Sorry, you might be getting at something interesting but I do not
understand the question.  I have no idea what you mean by "contents
neutral".

Picking between these two choices

         /**                         +    /**                         
    +     * Default parent           +     * Default parent           
    +     *                          +     *                          
    +     * @var int                 +     * @var int                 
    +     * @access protected        +     * @access protected        
    +     * @index                   +     * @index                   
    +     */                         +     */                         
    +    protected $defaultParent;   +    protected $defaultParent;   
    +                                +                                
    +    /**                              /**                         

would not affect the correctness of the patch.  You may pick
whatever you deem the most desirable, but your answer must be a
correct patch (the definition of "correct" here is "applying that
patch to the preimage produces the intended postimage").

And I think if you inserted a block of text B after a context C
where the tail of B matches the tail of C like the above, you can
shift what you treat as "inserted" up and still come up with a
correct patch.

The output being "a correct patch" is not the only thing we need to
consider, though, as I mentioned in another response to Kevin
regarding the "consequences".