Backwards compatibility (was Re: how can you tell you have merged?)

[Adrian Buehlmann]

On 11.09.2008 21:24, Matt Mackall wrote:
> I would really appreciate it if people who are not new here would
> refrain from suggesting changes that break backwards compatibility.
> We can't change the default output of status, it will kill dozens of
> innocent programs including people's build systems and IDEs. Such
> changes are categorically off-limits and I'm growing quite weary of
> pointing that out (it feels like it's a daily occurrence).

One root of this problem probably is that it would have been
better if Mercurial would have separated the two use case
categories:
(1) tools using hg on the command line and (2) real users
interacting with hg directly on the command line.

Also, a couple of tools have to use Mercurial via the command
line only because of license incompatibilities.

But yes, even *I* am aware that that ship has sailed.

We are now restricted with the command line interface by
the tools that already depend on it.