[webkit-dev] I *HATE* CHANGELOGS!!!

[Darin Adler]

On Aug 26, 2009, at 3:26 PM, David Hyatt wrote:

> What purpose do these stupid files even serve at this point?

I don’t like writing change log entries.

But unlike you I have no problems merging them. The update-webkit  
script usually works for me, although I find it really irritating that  
I can’t use it on a single directory.

I don’t think the multiple change logs inside the WebKit directory  
make sense for my use. I typically write cross-platform code so I end  
up modifying many directories at once. I’d be happier if there was  
only one.

I love reading change logs, though. I do this roughly once a week all  
year long. I try looking at trac or svn blame first, but typically I  
am unable to find the change I am looking for this way. Then, the  
ChangeLog files, my good friends, invariably work for finding the  
change by searching for key words or function names. I get lots of  
history about the bug, including bug numbers that point me at bugs.webkit.org 
  and even Apple’s internal Radar. And I often use the date to follow  
up reading the change in trac.

On the projects I’ve worked on with more low key change description  
disciplines, I find that check-in comments or their equivalents are  
vague, and missing critical information like the name of the reviewer,  
whether the code is tested, the nature of the bug being fixed, and the  
nature of the fix.

I agree that in theory we could find a different way of doing the  
project that still encourages people to communicate these things, but  
I am skeptical.

     -- Darin