[AstroPy] proposal for astropy version control software and respository

[Mark Sienkiewicz]

Perry Greenfield wrote:
> Given discussions at scipy (consisting primarily of a good number of  
> people from STScI, CFA/Chandra, and Gemini) it seemed clear to most of  
> us there that the most straightforward choice for the astropy version  
> control software and repository was git and github.


I was corresponding off-list (IIRC) about using git, but I'll repeat my 
major points here for everyone:

- If the project will use git, the git advocates have a responsibility 
to present a clearly-defined work flow for each role in the project.

Motivation:  git implements several mutually-incompatible work flows.  
If you don't say which one you are using, you can get really screwed 
up.  Also, what you do with git and why anybody would want to do that 
are not obvious to those of us who are not already converts.  I am your 
audience: one of those subversion users who "look at git's features with 
confusion or disinterest".

b.t.w. I hear that ipython has a work flow document that we can adapt from.


- DVCS advocates in general seem to care deeply about the DVCSness of 
the system.  I don't need anything from git that I can't get from 
subversion, but the git advocates are so insistent that I might as well 
just give up and say "ok, use git".  Basically, they care, I don't, and 
I can probably make their favorite system work.  Assuming they explain 
the work flow.

But it would sure suck to lose the revision numbers that subversion has 
(but git does not) and not get something pretty intensely useful in 
return.  I hope you git guys know what that is.


Mark S.