Re: [dev] [sbase][RFC] patch: whitespace patches

From: Mattias Andrée <maandree_AT_kth.se>
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2016 14:42:42 +0100

On Thu, 25 Feb 2016 14:11:05 +0100
FRIGN <dev_AT_frign.de> wrote:

> On Thu, 25 Feb 2016 13:39:30 +0100
> Mattias Andrée <maandree_AT_kth.se> wrote:
>
> Hey Matthias,
>
> > I think the documentation should be clear that it
> > only to be relied upon if whitespace changes do
> > not have any affects. Perhaps it should not allow
> > introducing whitespace where there was none,
> >
> > -helloworld
> > +hello world
> >
> > or removing all whitespace
> >
> > -hello world !
> > +helloworld !
> >
> > to protect against changes in strings. This however
> > does would mean that
> >
> > -a=b*c
> > +a = b * c
> >
> > would not be allowed either.
>
> this is insane. Just read the fucking patches and stop
> handholding the users.
>
> Cheers
>
> FRIGN
>

Whitespace patches can be large. This is to help ensure
that the user does not miss something in the patch that
changes the behaviour of the program. Like someone trying
to sneak in a backdoor or otherwise weaken security.
Of course the user will be reading the patch to make
sure that the patch fixes the whitespace correctly.

So it is not about handholding, but rather a security
feature.

Received on Thu Feb 25 2016 - 14:42:42 CET

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