Re: Configuration Management ... on Unix

Re: Configuration Management ... on Unix

[W. Wesley Groleau (Wes)]

> A method of merging deltas was described some years ago.

An interactive method is built into the 'sdiff' command in many Unices.
Look for  -o  in the man page

> It sounded to me like a really bad idea then, and does now.
> The assumption here is that changes that affect different lines are
> independent.

The additional problem is that most difference algorithms get hopelessly
confused when the changes are more than trivial.  (e.g., sections relocated
or blank lines inserted).

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W. Wesley Groleau (Wes)                                Office: 219-429-4923
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Re: Configuration Management ... on Unix

[Mark A Biggar]

In article <9606032056.AA12276@most> "W. Wesley Groleau (Wes)" <wwgrol@PSESERV3.FW.HAC.COM> writes:
>> A method of merging deltas was described some years ago.
>An interactive method is built into the 'sdiff' command in many Unices.
>Look for  -o  in the man page
>> It sounded to me like a really bad idea then, and does now.
>> The assumption here is that changes that affect different lines are
>> independent.
>The additional problem is that most difference algorithms get hopelessly
>confused when the changes are more than trivial.  (e.g., sections relocated
>or blank lines inserted).

Also see the program Patch, available via the GNU distirbution.  It will
take almost any form of diff output and make the corresponding changes.
It even handles initial leading white space differences and make a good
stab a patching file that have other non-conflicting changes.

--
Mark BIggar
mab@wdl.loral.com