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Creating the ChangeLog

Posted by Cliff on from the what's-the-best-way-to-do-this? dept.

Victor Tavares asks: "It is always expected to find a file called 'ChangeLog' or something similar in most software source tarballs. There is a section in the GNU Coding Standards document about them, but I have seen many different formats for ChangeLogs. Is there a standard way of creating ChangeLogs when using CVS/Emacs/ (insert your favourite tool) to manage the development? Are there ChangeLog tools or converters?"

8 comments

  1. Standard way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I suppose the standard way would be to use the built-in support in emacs.


    C-c a runs the command add-change-log-entry:

    Find change log file and add an entry for today.
    Optional arg (interactive prefix) non-nil means prompt for user name and site.
    Second arg is file name of change log. If nil, uses `change-log-default-name'.
    Third arg OTHER-WINDOW non-nil means visit in other window.
    Fourth arg NEW-ENTRY non-nil means always create a new entry at the front;
    never append to an existing entry.

  2. emacs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "C-x v a"

    Find change log file and add entries from recent RCS/CVS logs.
    Normally, find log entries for all registered files in the default
    directory using `rcs2log', which finds CVS logs preferentially.
    The mark is left at the end of the text prepended to the change log.

  3. In (X)Emacs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Try C-x 4 a. This works for sure in XEmacs, and i'm almost sure that it works in GNU Emacs.

    --
    Paul
    paul@ebb.org

  4. What about vim? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Anyone care to address the other half here? Being CVS. CVS have all the logging one need for the ChangeLog file, surely there must be some script to convert it to ChangeLog and save it??"

    That's what C-x v a in emacs does. The script is rcs2log (there's documentation in the script).

  5. What about vim? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The way I read it, nobody said he _had_ to use emacs. They only said how it _could_ be done in emacs. Take your insecuritues somewhere else. There is also a pike script which will produce ChangeLogs from CVS log entries. Somewhere on click here.

  6. Yes, there is a script, cvs2cl.pl by kfogel · · Score: 2

    I've just finished it. :-) It runs cvs log and
    parses the output, producing a ChangeLog
    file. Yes, it unifies when different files
    have the same log message on the same date.

    You can get it from me by asking, or check
    it out via anonymous CVS:

    cvs -d \
    :pserver:anonymous@cvs.red-bean.com:/usr/local/c vs

    checkout cvs2cl

    (password is "the key")

    -Karl Fogel

    --
    http://www.red-bean.com/kfogel
  7. What about vim? by Delta · · Score: 1

    Great, so now all those emacs ppl out there have a answer, but that's only answering half the question. And (personal opinion) it's a horrible answer.

    What you all want him to do is use emacs for this. I don't like emacs, and I think that every user should be allowed to use the editor of his choice and still be part of the development.

    Anyone care to address the other half here? Being CVS. CVS have all the logging one need for the ChangeLog file, surely there must be some script to convert it to ChangeLog and save it??

    --
    Terje Elde
  8. What about vim? by claw-against-sun · · Score: 1

    There is rcs2log script in contrib/ directory of cvs distribution.