[py-dev] Some ideas

[holger krekel]

Hi Guido! 

On Tue, Feb 12, 2008 at 10:19 +0100, Guido Wesdorp wrote:
> I thought a bit about the authentication feature for py.path.svn*, and 
> wrote my ideas in a small doc. The doc is attached - please discuss if 
> you're interested...

nice way of doing this, thanks! 
 
> SVN authentication support
> ==========================
> 
> This document describes authentication support to both py.path.svnwc and
> py.path.svnurl (yet to be implemented). This should allow using the library in
> a completely automated situation, without having to provide the credentials
> interactively.
> 
> Current ideas for implementation
> --------------------------------
> 
> The credentials are passed to the constructor of the path objects, and are used
> (transparently) for every action that accesses the server. Also, when provided,
> they are passed recursively to all child objects created by methods such as
> join(), ensure(), etc.

Transparently inheriting AUTH info might sometimes not be desired
or be tricky, not sure.  I'd try this after all else is done (see below). 

> * Many new arguments required
> 
>   I think it's not very nice to have so many new arguments to the constructors,
>   and especially dislike having an argument that's only useful when other args
>   are provided (auth_cache). Not sure how to improve that, though...

What about a py.path.SvnAuth class ... 

* that groks all these options 
* can create the proper commandline switches (and unit-testing
  particularly this) 
* then add an explicit 'svnauth' parameter to wc.checkout and wc.commit
  (which other svnwc methods need it?) 
* add an explicit 'svnauth' param to svnurl methods 
* -- 
* add an explicit 'svnauth' param to the svnurl constructor
  and experiment with inheriting it around

I think that an "SvnAuth" instance should also be 
able to signal "just use defaults/whatever is stored on the FS". 

Eventually we might want to generalize SvnAuth slightly 
into some Identity or Auth class that can also be 
used e.g. for py.execnet.SshGateway.  

HTH, 

holger

-- 
Holger Krekel - freelance manager and programmer 
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