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In other CVS systems, including the old CVS module in NB4, you can access the list of options for "cvs update" and other commands via an "expert mode" that brings up a dialog box. This allows for specifying options such as "get the clean copy" (-C), "preview" (-n), and so forth. Similarly for cvs status (which I couldn't even figure out how to do), I'd like the "verbose" (-v) option to be selectable.
Please supply your daily usecase. Expert mode was intentionaly stripped out. NB 5.0+ CVS integration UI (http://javacvs.netbeans.org/doc/jihlava/) focus on daily workflow integration. All features that do not fit in are unlikely to be implemented. On REOPEN supply compeling usecase, please. Thank you
> Expert mode was intentionaly stripped out. By removing this, you've taken away functionality that existed in a previous release. Without much thought, it seems, to possible use cases that don't fit your view of the way things ought to work. Here are 5 things that I sometimes want to do, that an expert mode would accomodate, and which I can't find a way to do now. 1) "-n" option for preview mode -- it is often essential to be able to preview changes before doing them. 2) Specify the "-w" and "-b" options to diff; these are invaluable in suppressing diffs that are just a result of indentation, conversion of tabs to spaces, or reformatting. The cvs diff feature is less useful without this. 3) "Quiet mode" (-q option) on all cvs commands. The "updating directory XXXX" messages in a project with a very deep directory structure can overwhelm the rest of the output making it difficult to see what you are looking for. 4) The "-v" verbose mode to cvs status (for that matter, how does one even *do* cvs status in NB5!?) 5) Ability to specify the "-r" option to diff to compare with a specific revision. 6) I came up with 5 off the top of my head, but the main point is that there may well be more that other users will find useful (e.g., turning on/off the "-d" option to update). How unfortunate that you have removed this capability. I would argue that when removing a feature such as this, the burden should be on the development team to prove that it isn't needed, not on the user who finds the feature useful.
One more thing. There is no way to do a true "cvs update -C" to get the clean copy for all files. Note that "Revert File" only works on individual files (or selected groups of files) and cannot be applied to a directory. This is a very useful feature.
Possible equvalents: 1) CVS: Show changes 2) [no alternative] 3) it's default (not in beta) 4) CVS: Show changes 5) CVS: Search History + Revert should work at all levels (file, folder, project). (not in beta)
I wasn't providing an exhaustive list of problems that need to be addressed in order to obviate the need of an expert mode. Rather, I was providing a few off-the-top-of-my-head examples of why having an expert mode is a good thing. My main point is that there are many use cases not covered by the existing functionality, and even if you address all the ones you can think of, there will be other users who want to do something that you didn't think of, unless you provide all of the underlying functionality of CVS. Basically, you have removed features between 4.1 to 5.0 that some users will miss. Other GUIs still have these features. That isn't a good thing. Making simple things easy while still making complex things possible is a good goal. One that seems to have been lost here. As for the specific concerns I raised: 1) CVS: Show changes You could probably argue that this gives you enough information that you don't really need the "-n" preview option, but it still seems like a useful thing to have. 2) [no alternative] This is a very useful feature, especially when reformatting code, or adding/removing a nesting level. In fact it is so useful, that the CVS server on java.net uses "-w" as a default when generating its automated CVS putback notification e-mail, so that spurious changes are elided. 4) CVS: Show changes CVS: Show changes isn't even close to being a replacement for "cvs status". The latter shows status and sticky tag information for all selected files (modified or not). The "-v" option shows all branch and revision tags for all files. 5) CVS: Search History This looks like a selection-based UI on an individual file basis. How would I, for example, do a diff between the current workspace and a specific revision or branch tag for the entire project?
I have to go to the command line a lot of times because in NB 5 there isn't a "advanced option". (I starting enabling and disbaling the old CVS, but the old CVS looses all the CVS configuration every time you disables it). On the top of my head: * "real diffs" without all the ones produced by indentation. * See the status info of a file (stick tags, version number...) * Diff against an specific version or branch.
> java.net uses "-w" as a default > * "real diffs" without all the ones produced by indentation. OK, recent NB 5.0 builds too. Thanks for catching it. > CVS: Show changes isn't even close to being a replacement for "cvs status". Right, CVS: Search History maps to "cvs status". I was refering to Show changes because most users complain about cvs status verbosity. (Users feedback was incorporated in Subversion so svn status behaves like IDE's Show changes. :-) > 5) CVS: Search History There is room for flow improvement. Now CVS: Search History and CVS: Export Diff Patch. > * See the status info of a file (stick tags, version number...) Intention was to visualize these in Properties window. But it requires API changes, subject of platform RFEs prioritization... Summary > Rather, I was providing a few > off-the-top-of-my-head examples of why having an expert mode is a good thing. > My main point is that there are many use cases not covered by the existing It's intention, IDE supports daily tasks. It's not be fullfeatured visual CVS frontend. The simplification is a feature, IDE's added value. I admit that support for some daily use cases may be missing. We are collecting these, later on prioritizing them.
Please see Issue #93591 for an additional use case example. I, too, think that the advanced CVS features should all be made available again.
*** Issue 114445 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***