Bug#123234: Deprecate BTS "close" command?

[Colin Watson <cjwatson@debian.org>]

On Sun, Dec 09, 2001 at 11:11:25PM +0000, Julian Gilbey wrote:
> Package: debbugs
> Version: 20011209 (bts.debian.org version)
> Severity: wishlist
> 
> I would love to see the BTS "close" command deprecated.  I can't think
> of a single situation in which it is a good thing to use.  The only
> situation in which it is currently necessary is in the sequence "close
> nnnnn; reopen nnnnn new-email", which should be replaced by the single
> command "submitter nnnnn new-email".
> 
> If people think this is good and the BTS maintainers want it, I'm
> willing to help code this simple change.

Several improvements have been made along the lines of this bug over the
last year or so:

  * 'submitter' has been implemented.

  * Comments prefixed by '#' above 'thanks' are included in the
    acknowledgement returned by control@bugs (although that typically
    doesn't go to the submitter).

  * 'close' still works, but produces a warning message: "'close' is
    deprecated; see http://www.debian.org/Bugs/Developer#closing.";

So, to some extent, 'close' has been deprecated, in that we document
that it's rarely the right thing to do and automatically complain when
people do it, although it's still there for those who know what they're
doing and talk to the submitter via other channels. However:

  * It would be nice if the closure notification returned by
    control@bugs would attach the control message, and if free-form
    comments after 'thanks' could make it into the acknowledgement.

  * 'close' may yet turn out to be useful, since when debbugs starts
    tracking version information the nnnnn-done@bugs interface won't
    always carry enough information. That said, maybe it'll just be
    called 'fixed-in nnnnn version-number' or something instead.

So I'm leaving this bug open for now until everything settles down.

Cheers,

-- 
Colin Watson                                  [cjwatson@flatline.org.uk]