Re: Locking binary files

[Dmitry Potapov <dpotapov@gmail.com>]

On Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 09:56:57AM -0400, Mario Pareja wrote:
> 
> The SVN client will make locked files read-only until a lock is
> obtained for them.  This helps "remind" you that a lock should be
> obtained before editing such a file. Requiring the developer to obtain
> a lock ensures that nobody else is editing the file and prevents
> wasted work.  Upon commit, the file is marked as unlocked and the
> local file is once again read-only.

The approach that SVN takes is not only impossible for distributed
environment, it does not work even in a _single_ repository where you
have branching and merging. If you have a topic branch then your lock
will have a zero effect on other developers or lock of other developers
on you. Obviously, you are going to have the binary merge conflict at
the end. But it is even worse than that. Somebody locked a file on the
master branch and you clone from it. Now, this somebody unlocked this
file, but this file on your branch remains locked but this person, and
this person may even not aware that about your branch. That is insane!

Dmitry