Julia EvansMar 19, 2024

gonna do a short thread of git vs other version control systems polls just to get an overall vibe

poll 1: if you've used both hg and git, which do you prefer?

(no replies please though, i have already read 300 comments about git vs other version control systems today and i can't read more)

hg
21.3%
git
65.5%
depends
7.7%
other
5.4%
Poll ended at .
Show threadJulia EvansMar 19, 2024

poll 2: if you've used both svn and git, which do you prefer?

(no replies please, i have already read 300 comments about git vs other version control systems today and they were great but i can't read more)

svn
3.5%
git
91.8%
depends
3.2%
other
1.5%
Poll ended at .
Show threadJulia EvansMar 27, 2024

poll: is any of these your favourite version control system?

(please don't reply if your answer is "other”, i have some polls elsewhere in this thread about other systems)

bazaar
13.8%
fossil
33.9%
perforce
34.9%
cvs
17.4%
Poll ended at .
Show threadJulia EvansMar 27, 2024

poll: is any of these your favourite version control system?

(please don't reply if your answer is "other”, i have some polls elsewhere in this thread about other systems)

clearcase
12.9%
pijul
41.9%
darcs
35.5%
TFS/TFVC
9.7%
Poll ended at .
Show thread0xC0DEC0DE07EAMar 27, 2024
@b0rk ClearCase! My mortal enemy.
Show threadBen Zanin
@c0dec0dec0de @b0rk ah, spoken like any person who has ever come near ClearCase! *spits reflexively*
Mar 28, 2024 at 1:39amTusky
Show threadi.grokMar 29, 2024

@gnomon I have exactly once been in a situation where we had a choice of ClearCase or Git, looked at how we needed to be able to manage the versions and said "ClearCase, definitely"

I think it's also the first time our SW CM had supported a project with pure ClearCase, no wrapper scripts to dumb it down, on purpose (I'm sure it happened before they had the wrapper scripts—reading between the lines it was a disaster never to be spoken of, even in whispers)
@c0dec0dec0de @b0rk

Show threadBen ZaninMar 29, 2024
@igrok are you at liberty to describe a bit more about the project? As a general purpose source control system ClearCase is, well, you know; but as a strict _version control system_, such as might be required for a deeply embedded codebase where the specific compilation tooling might need to be held in lockstep with the application code, it can end up being a net positive. What was this particular niche that it fit well?
Show threadi.grokMar 29, 2024

@gnomon multiple subsystems developed by external suppliers (so binaries & config files) with crappy custom-binary build systems that expect files to show up in their tree, but said files are externally supplied and depended on what the other subsystems were for a given build

And Windows, so no symlinks

And multiple build flavors (debug, test, etc) where only one subsystem might be a special config that day

A VCS that lets you specify arbitrary branches on a file level is basically perfect

Show threadBen ZaninMar 29, 2024
@igrok fascinating!! Thank you so much for sharing that. You're right, that sounds like the perfect fit for ClearCase, and also I hope I never ever see such a thing ever again
Show threadi.grokMar 29, 2024

@gnomon absolutely!

It was hilarious when it happened because we had for years been fighting that SW CM (in some cases bitterly) to replace ClearCase with Git on our projects, overcoming claims it was unnecessary, too different, etc and ultimately forced her to accept the switch by going over her head. So big extended drama…

And then we hit this use case and agreed unanimously "definitely ClearCase"!

She was so excited, too! 😆 I think we healed a lot of wounds that day