[PATCH] D50055: Update the coding standard about NFC changes and whitespace

[Hubert Tong via Phabricator via llvm-commits]

hubert.reinterpretcast added inline comments.


================
Comment at: docs/DeveloperPolicy.rst:395-408
+Commits with No Functional Change
+---------------------------------
+
+It may be permissible to commit changes without prior review when the changes
+have no semantic impact on the code if the changes being made are obvious and
+not invasive. For instance, removing trailing whitespace from a line, fixing a
+line ending to be consistent with the rest of the file, fixing a typo, code
----------------
hfinkel wrote:
> aaron.ballman wrote:
> > chandlerc wrote:
> > > I think this is a much broader statement than is warranted to address the specific problem. And I'm not completely comfortable with it.
> > > 
> > > I don't think guidance around "no functional change" is the right way to give guidance about what is or isn't "obvious" and fine to commit with post-commit review personally.
> > > 
> > > I'd really suggest just being direct about *formatting* and whitespace changes, and specifically suggest that they not be made unless the file or code region in question is an area that the author is planning subsequent changes to.
> > We talk about formatting and whitespace in the CodingStandards document, but we talk about obviousness and post-commit review in DeveloperPolicy. Where would you like these new words to live? To me, they're more about the policy and less about the coding standard -- the coding standard says what the code should look like and the policy says what you should and should not do procedurally, but then I feel the need to tie it back to "obviousness". How about this in the developer policy:
> > ```
> > The Obviousness of Formatting Changes
> > -------------------------------------
> > 
> > While formatting and whitespace changes may be "obvious", they can also create
> > needless churn that causes difficulties for out-of-tree users carrying local
> > patches. Do not commit formatting or whitespace changes unless they are related
> > to a file or code region that you intend to make subsequent changes to. The
> > formatting and whitespace changes should be highly localized, committed before
> > you begin functionality-changing work on the code region, and the commit message
> > should clearly state that the commit is not intended to change functionality,
> > usually by stating it is :ref:`NFC <nfc>`.
> > 
> > 
> > If you wish to make a change to formatting or whitespace that touches an entire
> > library or code base, please seek pre-commit approval first.
> > ```
> I agree with @chandlerc about the current proposed text, and I think that this is better. I wonder if we want to insist on separating the commits, of if, combined localized commits are okay?
> 
It depends on how much noise there is when combining the commits; and when evaluating for that, we have to remember that people use different diff tools.


https://reviews.llvm.org/D50055