[Dxspider-support] DXCommandmode

Dirk Koopman djk at tobit.co.uk
Wed Jan 19 09:41:55 GMT 2005


On Tue, 2005-01-18 at 21:18 -0600, Stephen J Carroll wrote:
> Dirk,
> 
> I'm running MSWin version. Was on 58.323 and decided to do a CVSWin update 
> to 58.326. Everything appeared to be fine until I issued the "WHO" command 
> (which has always worked previously). Here's what I received on the console:
> 

Gents (especially those whom use CVS). Please listen up.

Steve: this is not specifically directed at you, so don't take it
personally.

> WHO
> Global symbol "$Id" requires explicit package name at (eval 41) line 1.
> Final $ should be \$ or $name at (eval 41) line 2, within string
> syntax error at (eval 41) line 9, near "<"
>   (Might be a runaway multi-line << string starting on line 1)
> syntax error at (eval 41) line 41, near "===="
> syntax error at (eval 41) line 81, near ">>>>"
> =>

<rant>

This is the third or fourth message of this type we have had in the last
week or so. The answer is *always* the same. 

1. Remove the offending file (in this case /spider/cmd/who.pl).
2. cvs update
3. either restart if the file is in /spider/perl or just carry on
otherwise.

please RTFM. This is all covered in there.

But, Gents, *please* look at the error (and other examples recently),
there is a set of clues.  

If you see an error where it moans about '<' or '<<<<', followed by a
moan about '=' or '====' then topped off with one about '>>>>' or
'>' (and the number of < = and > in the strings will vary) then you are
looking at a CVS *conflict*.

When you did the CVS it will have the letter 'C' in front of the
filename to be updated, output during the update. If you see the letter
'C' in front of the filename then it *will* have some text like:-

<<<<<<<< 1.22
text a
text b
========
text c
>>>>>>>> 1.23

in it. This is a deliberate syntax error put in by CVS to make the
programmer (or user in this case) fix it.

The reason for 99 times out of 100 conflicts, is that you have
*modified* one of the distributed files in the /spider/perl, cmd, or
data trees. This, in spite of the instructions in the FM to move any
modules  or command that you want to play with, to the /spider/local
or /spider/local_cmd trees first, then modify them there.  

CVS (and I) *rely* on you *not* modifying distributed files, I have gone
to some trouble to make provision for local mods for everything except
prefixes (and that will have the ability to be changed locally soon as
well, when I introduce the local_data directory). 

BTW seeing the letter 'M' in front of a filename during CVS update is
also bad, because it means that you have locally modified the file, but
managed to get away with it, without tripping CVSs conflict filter. You
may still end up with something that doesn't work. 

The only acceptable letters before filenames, during an anonymous CVS
update, are 'P' or 'U'.

</rant>

Dirk G1TLH




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