[Reportbug-maint] [reportbug] r538 - in /trunk: ./ debian/changelog reportbug.py

[Ben Finney]

"Sandro Tosi" <matrixhasu at gmail.com> writes:

> > Modified: trunk/debian/changelog
> > URL: http://svn.debian.org/wsvn/reportbug/trunk/debian/changelog?rev=538&op=diff
> > ==============================================================================
> > --- trunk/debian/changelog (original)
> > +++ trunk/debian/changelog Sun Jun 15 07:48:00 2008

[...]

> Those changes are *wrong*! you should not change previous entries in
> debian/changelog as stated in Debian Policy:
> 
> 4.4. Debian changelog: `debian/changelog'
> -----------------------------------------
> 
>      Changes in the Debian version of the package should be briefly
>      explained in the Debian changelog file `debian/changelog'.[1]
> (...)
> [1]  Mistakes in changelogs are usually best rectified by making a new
>      changelog entry rather than "rewriting history" by editing old
>      changelog entries.

The changes in that changeset are trailing-whitespace fixes. They
can't be fixed by making a new changelog entry. So, this appears to be
an instance where a mistake is not fixable this way, as allowed by the
wording "usually".

It's also rather dubious to say that fixing trailing whitespace is
"rewriting history" in the changelog.

> Please revert this changes.

How would you propose we address trailing whitespace?

If you'd prefer they not be fixed, can you say why? I automatically
remove trailing whitespace in my editor, so fixing it once means that
we avoid accidental noise in more substantial changesets.

-- 
 \     "The cost of a thing is the amount of what I call life which is |
  `\       required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long |
_o__)                                    run."  -- Henry David Thoreau |
Ben Finney