annotate admin/notes/years @ 83548:c71725faff1a

Merged from [e-mail]. Last-minute emacsclient rewrites be damned! Patches applied: * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-490 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-491 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-492 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-493 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-494 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-495 Merge from gnus--rel--5.10 * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-496 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-497 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-498 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-499 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-500 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-501 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-502 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-503 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-504 Merge from gnus--rel--5.10 * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-505 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-506 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-507 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-508 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-509 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-510 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-511 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-512 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-513 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-514 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-515 Merge from gnus--rel--5.10 * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-516 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-517 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-518 Merge from gnus--rel--5.10 * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-519 Update from CVS: etc/TUTORIAL.cn: Updated. * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-520 Merge from erc--emacs--22 * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-521 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-522 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-523 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-524 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-525 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-526 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-527 Merge from gnus--rel--5.10 * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-528 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-529 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-530 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-531 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-532 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-533 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-534 Merge from gnus--rel--5.10 * [e-mail]/emacs--devo--0--patch-535 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/gnus--rel--5.10--patch-161 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/gnus--rel--5.10--patch-162 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/gnus--rel--5.10--patch-163 Merge from emacs--devo--0 * [e-mail]/gnus--rel--5.10--patch-164 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/gnus--rel--5.10--patch-165 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/gnus--rel--5.10--patch-166 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/gnus--rel--5.10--patch-167 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/gnus--rel--5.10--patch-168 Update from CVS * [e-mail]/gnus--rel--5.10--patch-169 Merge from emacs--devo--0 * [e-mail]/gnus--rel--5.10--patch-170 Update from CVS git-archimport-id: [e-mail]--2004/emacs--multi-tty--0--patch-588

How to Maintain Copyright Years for GNU Emacs


"Our lawyer says it is ok if we add, to each file that has been in Emacs
 since Emacs 21 came out in 2001, all the subsequent years.  We don't
 need to check whether *that file* was changed in those years.
 It's sufficient that *Emacs* was changed in those years (and it was!).

 For those files that have been added since then, we should add
 the year it was added to Emacs, and all subsequent years."

 --RMS, 2005-07-13


For the refcards under etc/, it's ok to simply use the latest year
(typically in a `\def\year{YEAR}' expression) for the rendered copyright
notice, while maintaining the full list of years in the copyright notice
in the comments.


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Following is the policy that we tried to write down one time (mid 2005).
Although it is incorrect, we keep it around to remind us how complicated
things used to be (and may become in the future).


Principle: Individual files need to have the year of the release
           in the copyright notice if there is significant change.


Practice:

- individual files
  - each must be examined, along w/ its history, by a human
  - automated tools facilitate but can never replace this process

- year of the release
  - may be different from year of file introduction,
    or year of last significant change
  - sometimes the release year slips, leaving a file w/ prematurely
    marked release year => need update (e.g., s/2004/2005/ for Emacs 22)
  - intervening years (between releases) are not valid and may cause
    embarrassment later in case of dispute => remove (however, see next)
  - years for new files (merged, contributed) that have been separately
    published are valid even if between releases => leave alone

- significant change
  - insignificant
    - whitespace
    - copyright notice
    - version control tags
    - simple var/func renaming
    - in-file reorganization/reordering
    - typos
    - small bugfixes
    - small docfixes
    - filename renaming
  - most everything else is significant
    - change to interface
    - change in functionality
    - new file
  - many small changes may be significant in aggregate

- when in doubt, ask (and update these guidelines -- thanks!)

- sometimes people make mistakes
  - if they have not read these guidelines, point them here
  - if the guidelines are not helpful, improve the guidelines