Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!convex!killer!vector!chip
From: chip@vector.UUCP (Chip Rosenthal)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: PATCH usage
Summary: when patches bigger than the patchee
Message-ID: <386@vector.UUCP>
Date: 30 Jun 88 23:15:37 GMT
References: <393@sce.UUCP>
Reply-To: chip@vector.UUCP (Chip Rosenthal)
Organization: Dallas Semiconductor
Lines: 17

In article <393@sce.UUCP> graham@sce.UUCP (Doug Graham) writes:
>I noticed that the latest patch (patch-10, haven't got 11 yet) is
>80K bytes, while the entire source for "patch" is only about 120K bytes.

I sometimes wish patch had a mode which replaced the entire file rather
than patching it.  This would have allowed, for example, patch patch
number 11, which really was a shar archive, to be a patch.

The obvious drawback is that you would lose your local hacks, so patch
should default to a "really?" question.  In this case, you would have to
back out your hacks, run patch, and then put them back in.  But you run
the risk of doing this anyway whenever you hack on software which will
potentially have future patches.
-- 
Chip Rosenthal /// chip@vector.UUCP /// Dallas Semiconductor /// 214-450-0400
{uunet!warble,sun!texsun!rpp386,killer}!vector!chip
I won't sing for politicians.  Ain't singing for Spuds.  This note's for you.