Subject: Re: How to check if issue is solved?

From: "David G. Johnston" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2024 19:06:41 -0700

On Thursday, July 25, 2024, Mohab Yaser <[email-masked]>
wrote:

> I wrote a simple script to get all issues from the pgsql-bugs list that
> are reported by the form (basically getting just the issues without any
> replies to them) and now while searching through these issues I can't know
> directly whether it is solved or not, just a workaround is checking any
> discussions in its thread whether there is a patch file attached or not but
> it is not accurate as submitting a patch is not related to the issue itself
> neither by mentioning the issue id or the issue itself is marked as solved
> or at least someone is working on it, so if anyone can help it will be very
> appreciated.
>

If there are zero replies the odds of it being resolved are reasonably
close to zero.  But you are correct that seeing a reply ultimately means
that whether or not the issue is resolved is unknown.  Historical data
conforms to this and I don’t foresee any meaningful change in reality in
the near future either.  Mostly because the vast majority of bugs get
confirmed and resolved in a timely manner by those responsible for them.
But the bug report only generally gets acknowledgement, patches get worked
on in -hackers.  Stronger/actual enforcement of bug tracking in it commit
messages is possible but IMO the political capital needed is better spent
elsewhere.

While it is presently not the easiest to use, the commitfest is where
effort should be expended.  There is at least problem recognition [1] and
some concrete changes [2] suggested for improvements there which could use
people needing those changes in order to effectively contribute to the
project to use the current system, look over the commentary and ideas, and
chime in with their own perspective.

[1]
https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/[email-masked]

[2]
https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/CAKFQuwZYAigt%2BsRJrwXp5E1p3haAkTto8LU4EwFR5C8gowfKuA%40mail.gmail.com

David J.