[platform-vcm-dev] RFC: Envy config map like feature for Eclipse

["Rolf Wilms" <rwilms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Please note: I think I have confused my mail address when posting to this
list, so this mail (and some other) show up here with some delay.

We (CSC Germany) are considering to implement an Envy config map like
feature for Eclipse as a part of the upcoming Eclipse-based IDE for our
proprietary insurance products. I believe that this Envy config map like
feature could be useful in general for managing Eclipse projects.

This is a rough outline how this could look like and I'd appreciate your
feedback.

Regards,
            Rolf

Requirements:

- be nestable
- load dependent config maps and projects
- visualize difference between defined dependent project version and actual
version / locally modified state
- add project to map
- delete project from map
- replace defined project with another project version
- "qualified" versioning requires that all defined projects are versions
- be versionable
- unconditionally load config maps and dependent config maps, even if
conflicts occur
- conflicts are i.e. different versions of the same project defined in
different config maps
- list conflicts as tasks / show problem markers
- show list of conflicting maps for a load conflict

Implementation:

- implementation uses one ore more plugins
- implement config maps using projects
- maybe introduce new project nature for config map projects
- one extra project per config map, this means for each config map there is
one separate project
- use team set file structure as config map definition, manage the team set
file in the associated project
- implement new config map wizard, creating empty team set file
- implement editor / viewer displaying defined, available, difference to
loaded state...
- implement qualified versioning command (prevent qualified versioning if
not all projects are versions or conflicts present)
- implement 'recursively load dependents' command
- implement validate (build?) creating/deleting tasks and conflict markers