diff --git a/mercurial/help.py b/mercurial/help.py --- a/mercurial/help.py +++ b/mercurial/help.py @@ -540,6 +540,12 @@ TOPIC_CATEGORY_CONCEPTS, ), ( + [b"evolution"], + _(b"Safely rewriting history (EXPERIMENTAL)"), + loaddoc(b'evolution'), + TOPIC_CATEGORY_CONCEPTS, + ), + ( [b'scripting'], _(b'Using Mercurial from scripts and automation'), loaddoc(b'scripting'), diff --git a/mercurial/helptext/evolution.txt b/mercurial/helptext/evolution.txt new file mode 100644 --- /dev/null +++ b/mercurial/helptext/evolution.txt @@ -0,0 +1,56 @@ +Obsolescence markers make it possible to mark changesets that have been +deleted or superseded in a new version of the changeset. + +Unlike the previous way of handling such changes, by stripping the old +changesets from the repository, obsolescence markers can be propagated +between repositories. This allows for a safe and simple way of exchanging +mutable history and altering it after the fact. Changeset phases are +respected, such that only draft and secret changesets can be altered (see +:hg:`help phases` for details). + +Obsolescence is tracked using "obsolescence markers", a piece of metadata +tracking which changesets have been made obsolete, potential successors for +a given changeset, the moment the changeset was marked as obsolete, and the +user who performed the rewriting operation. The markers are stored +separately from standard changeset data can be exchanged without any of the +precursor changesets, preventing unnecessary exchange of obsolescence data. + +The complete set of obsolescence markers describes a history of changeset +modifications that is orthogonal to the repository history of file +modifications. This changeset history allows for detection and automatic +resolution of edge cases arising from multiple users rewriting the same part +of history concurrently. + +Current feature status +====================== + +This feature is still in development. + +Instability +=========== + +Rewriting changesets might introduce instability. + +There are two main kinds of instability: orphaning and diverging. + +Orphans are changesets left behind when their ancestors are rewritten. +Divergence has two variants: + +* Content-divergence occurs when independent rewrites of the same changesets + lead to different results. + +* Phase-divergence occurs when the old (obsolete) version of a changeset + becomes public. + +It is possible to prevent local creation of orphans by using the following config:: + + [experimental] + evolution.createmarkers = true + evolution.exchange = true + +You can also enable that option explicitly:: + + [experimental] + evolution.createmarkers = true + evolution.exchange = true + evolution.allowunstable = true diff --git a/tests/test-globalopts.t b/tests/test-globalopts.t --- a/tests/test-globalopts.t +++ b/tests/test-globalopts.t @@ -419,6 +419,7 @@ Concepts: bundlespec Bundle File Formats + evolution Safely rewriting history (EXPERIMENTAL) glossary Glossary phases Working with Phases subrepos Subrepositories @@ -552,6 +553,7 @@ Concepts: bundlespec Bundle File Formats + evolution Safely rewriting history (EXPERIMENTAL) glossary Glossary phases Working with Phases subrepos Subrepositories diff --git a/tests/test-help-hide.t b/tests/test-help-hide.t --- a/tests/test-help-hide.t +++ b/tests/test-help-hide.t @@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ Concepts: bundlespec Bundle File Formats + evolution Safely rewriting history (EXPERIMENTAL) glossary Glossary phases Working with Phases subrepos Subrepositories @@ -254,6 +255,7 @@ Concepts: bundlespec Bundle File Formats + evolution Safely rewriting history (EXPERIMENTAL) glossary Glossary phases Working with Phases subrepos Subrepositories diff --git a/tests/test-help.t b/tests/test-help.t --- a/tests/test-help.t +++ b/tests/test-help.t @@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ Concepts: bundlespec Bundle File Formats + evolution Safely rewriting history (EXPERIMENTAL) glossary Glossary phases Working with Phases subrepos Subrepositories @@ -298,6 +299,7 @@ Concepts: bundlespec Bundle File Formats + evolution Safely rewriting history (EXPERIMENTAL) glossary Glossary phases Working with Phases subrepos Subrepositories @@ -2274,6 +2276,13 @@ Environment Variables