Subject: Re: Notes on Using Git with Subprojects

From: A Large Angry SCM <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 15:45:51 -0700

Johannes Schindelin wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, A Large Angry SCM wrote:
> 
>> How the state (subproject list, branch names, etc.) is recorded in a 
>> parent project is only important to the parent project. The parent 
>> project must also know how to interact with with each of its 
>> subprojects.
> 
> Granted, if you mix VCSes, this is most pragmatic.
> 
> But it is also wrong: The whole point in bundling the subprojects together 
> is (IMHO) to get the benefits of a VCS for the root project, i.e. for the 
> combined states of the subprojects. After all, you want to say "I know 
> that this collection of projects at these states compiled and worked 
> fine."
> 
> And if you let a build system handle the stitching of the subprojects, you 
> completely lose these benefits.

Bundling and subproject support are two different things. Bundling is 
for convenience. Subprojects are usually the result of a dependency on a 
project managed or controlled by some other entity or on some part of 
the larger project with radically different development requirements.

Recording which version of a subproject to use is important and my note 
failed to discuss it. That I'll remedy over the next several days.