Give channel descriptions in `flutter channel`, use branch instead of upstream for channel name #126936

Hixie · 2023-05-16T18:20:21Z

How we determine the channel name

Historically, we used the current branch's upstream to figure out the current channel name. I have no idea why. I traced it back to https://github.com/flutter/flutter/pull/446/files where @abarth implement this and I reviewed that PR and left no comment on it at the time.

I think this is confusing. You can be on a branch and it tells you that your channel is different. That seems weird.

This PR changes the logic to uses the current branch as the channel name.

How we display channels

The main reason this PR exists is to add channel descriptions to the flutter channel list:

ianh@burmese:~/dev/flutter/packages/flutter_tools$ flutter channel
Flutter channels:
  master (tip of tree, for contributors)
  main (tip of tree, follows master channel)
  beta (updated monthly, recommended for experienced users)
  stable (updated quarterly, for new users and for production app releases)
* foo_bar

Currently not on an official channel.
ianh@burmese:~/dev/flutter/packages/flutter_tools$

Other changes

I made a few other changes while I was at it:

If you're not on an official channel, we used to imply --show-all, but now we don't, we just show the official channels plus yours. This avoids flooding the screen in the case the user is on a weird channel and just wants to know what channel they're on.
I made the tool more consistent about how it handles unofficial branches. Now it's always [user branch].
I slightly adjusted how unknown versions are rendered so it's clearer the version is unknown rather than just having the word "Unknown" floating in the output without context.
Simplified some of the code.
Made some of the tests more strict (checking all output rather than just some aspects of it).
Changed the MockFlutterVersion to implement the FlutterVersion API more strictly.
I made sure we escape the output to .metadata to avoid potential injection bugs (previously we just inlined the version and channel name verbatim with no escaping, which is super sketchy).
Tweaked the help text for the downgrade command to be clearer.
Removed some misleading text in some error messages.
Made the .metadata generator consistent with the template file.
Removed some obsolete code to do with the dev branch.

Reviewer notes

I'm worried that there are implications to some of these changes that I am not aware of, so please don't assume I know what I'm doing when reviewing this code. :-)

packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/channel.dart

christopherfujino · 2023-05-19T17:34:00Z

packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/downgrade.dart

      );
    }
    try {
      await processUtils.run(
+        // The `--` bit (because it's followed by nothing) means that we don't actually change
+        // anything in the working tree, which avoids the need to first go into detached HEAD mode.


ahh, thanks for the comment

christopherfujino · 2023-05-19T18:10:44Z

packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/version.dart

  'main',
  'beta',
  'stable',
 };

+const Map<String, String> kChannelDescriptions = <String, String>{
+  'master': 'tip of tree, for contributors',


I've found several contributors confused by the term "tip of tree", or "tree" in general with regards to a repository. What about: "latest development branch, for contributors"?

christopherfujino · 2023-05-19T18:15:30Z

packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/version.dart

@@ -709,8 +717,8 @@ class GitTagVersion {
    String gitRef = 'HEAD'
  }) {
    if (fetchTags) {
-      final String channel = _runGit('git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD', processUtils, workingDirectory);
-      if (channel == 'dev' || channel == 'beta' || channel == 'stable') {
+      final String channel = _runGit('git symbolic-ref --short HEAD', processUtils, workingDirectory);


for posterity, was git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD giving us the wrong string?

Also, looks like this is a new git sub-command after an internal refactor. I wonder if all of our users will have it in their git? https://git-scm.com/docs/git-symbolic-ref#_notes

Well, it was at least around in 2011, so I'm guessing it should be fine https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4986000/whats-the-recommended-usage-of-a-git-symbolic-reference

As far as I can tell what we did before was just wrong and this command has existed for ages.
But it's git.
So who knows.
I certainly cannot say with certainty that this is correct.

christopherfujino

LGTM

auto-submit · 2023-05-22T22:24:22Z

auto label is removed for flutter/flutter, pr: 126936, due to - This commit is not mergeable and has conflicts. Please rebase your PR and fix all the conflicts.

…instead of upstream for channel name (flutter/flutter#126936)

flutter/flutter@f86c529...216605b 2023-05-24 engine-flutter-autoroll@skia.org Roll Flutter Engine from aba9dc4640c2 to eebcf36cd38f (3 revisions) (flutter/flutter#127458) 2023-05-24 engine-flutter-autoroll@skia.org Roll Flutter Engine from 76afb431a740 to aba9dc4640c2 (1 revision) (flutter/flutter#127453) 2023-05-24 engine-flutter-autoroll@skia.org Roll Flutter Engine from fc6df9512aa2 to 76afb431a740 (3 revisions) (flutter/flutter#127445) 2023-05-23 49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com Bump actions/labeler from 6b107e7a7ee5e054e0bcce60de5181d21e2f00fb to 2713f7303c96cb1e69627957ec16eea0fd7f94a4 (flutter/flutter#127438) 2023-05-23 engine-flutter-autoroll@skia.org Roll Flutter Engine from 3535e0d301dd to fc6df9512aa2 (1 revision) (flutter/flutter#127440) 2023-05-23 47866232+chunhtai@users.noreply.github.com Migrates android semanitcs integration to integration test (flutter/flutter#127128) 2023-05-23 engine-flutter-autoroll@skia.org Roll Flutter Engine from 23b04314d5d2 to 3535e0d301dd (3 revisions) (flutter/flutter#127428) 2023-05-23 engine-flutter-autoroll@skia.org Roll Flutter Engine from ccf50f344d5d to 23b04314d5d2 (2 revisions) (flutter/flutter#127421) 2023-05-23 ian@hixie.ch Give channel descriptions in `flutter channel`, use branch instead of upstream for channel name (flutter/flutter#126936) 2023-05-23 72562119+tgucio@users.noreply.github.com Avoid catching errors in TextPainter tests (flutter/flutter#127307) 2023-05-23 christopherfujino@gmail.com [flutter_tools] delete entitlements files after copying to macos build dir (flutter/flutter#127417) 2023-05-23 engine-flutter-autoroll@skia.org Roll Flutter Engine from a6e37bde65fd to ccf50f344d5d (7 revisions) (flutter/flutter#127416) 2023-05-23 113669907+NikolajHarderNota@users.noreply.github.com modal bottom sheet barrier label (flutter/flutter#126431) 2023-05-23 jmccandless@google.com Fix the breaking of multi-code-unit characters in obscure mode (flutter/flutter#123366) 2023-05-23 engine-flutter-autoroll@skia.org Roll Flutter Engine from 168b0bf3f70d to a6e37bde65fd (1 revision) (flutter/flutter#127397) 2023-05-23 vashworth@google.com Revert "Log all output of ios-deploy" (flutter/flutter#127405) 2023-05-23 engine-flutter-autoroll@skia.org Roll Packages from 83959fb to d449a17 (6 revisions) (flutter/flutter#127394) 2023-05-23 vashworth@google.com Log all output of ios-deploy (flutter/flutter#127222) If this roll has caused a breakage, revert this CL and stop the roller using the controls here: https://autoroll.skia.org/r/flutter-packages Please CC bmparr@google.com,rmistry@google.com,stuartmorgan@google.com on the revert to ensure that a human is aware of the problem. To file a bug in Packages: https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/new/choose To report a problem with the AutoRoller itself, please file a bug: https://bugs.chromium.org/p/skia/issues/entry?template=Autoroller+Bug Documentation for the AutoRoller is here: https://skia.googlesource.com/buildbot/+doc/main/autoroll/README.md

@abarth

… upstream for channel name (flutter#126936) ## How we determine the channel name Historically, we used the current branch's upstream to figure out the current channel name. I have no idea why. I traced it back to https://github.com/flutter/flutter/pull/446/files where @abarth implement this and I reviewed that PR and left no comment on it at the time. I think this is confusing. You can be on a branch and it tells you that your channel is different. That seems weird. This PR changes the logic to uses the current branch as the channel name. ## How we display channels The main reason this PR exists is to add channel descriptions to the `flutter channel` list: ``` ianh@burmese:~/dev/flutter/packages/flutter_tools$ flutter channel Flutter channels: master (tip of tree, for contributors) main (tip of tree, follows master channel) beta (updated monthly, recommended for experienced users) stable (updated quarterly, for new users and for production app releases) * foo_bar Currently not on an official channel. ianh@burmese:~/dev/flutter/packages/flutter_tools$ ``` ## Other changes I made a few other changes while I was at it: * If you're not on an official channel, we used to imply `--show-all`, but now we don't, we just show the official channels plus yours. This avoids flooding the screen in the case the user is on a weird channel and just wants to know what channel they're on. * I made the tool more consistent about how it handles unofficial branches. Now it's always `[user branch]`. * I slightly adjusted how unknown versions are rendered so it's clearer the version is unknown rather than just having the word "Unknown" floating in the output without context. * Simplified some of the code. * Made some of the tests more strict (checking all output rather than just some aspects of it). * Changed the MockFlutterVersion to implement the FlutterVersion API more strictly. * I made sure we escape the output to `.metadata` to avoid potential injection bugs (previously we just inlined the version and channel name verbatim with no escaping, which is super sketchy). * Tweaked the help text for the `downgrade` command to be clearer. * Removed some misleading text in some error messages. * Made the `.metadata` generator consistent with the template file. * Removed some obsolete code to do with the `dev` branch. ## Reviewer notes I'm worried that there are implications to some of these changes that I am not aware of, so please don't assume I know what I'm doing when reviewing this code. :-)

…instead of upstream for channel name (flutter/flutter#126936)

flutter-dashboard bot added the tool Affects the "flutter" command-line tool. See also t: labels. label May 16, 2023

Hixie force-pushed the channel branch 3 times, most recently from 9259260 to 38550ca Compare May 17, 2023 01:08

jayoung-lee mentioned this pull request May 17, 2023

Add channel descriptions to flutter channel #126964

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Hixie force-pushed the channel branch 3 times, most recently from d781ec9 to 8d01a6a Compare May 18, 2023 00:11

Hixie mentioned this pull request May 18, 2023

Suggest that people move to "beta" when they upgrade on "stable" #126972

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Hixie force-pushed the channel branch 2 times, most recently from f6186f4 to a95a836 Compare May 18, 2023 22:50

christopherfujino reviewed May 19, 2023

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Hixie force-pushed the channel branch from a95a836 to cadb470 Compare May 22, 2023 19:32

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Hixie force-pushed the channel branch from cadb470 to d4e6463 Compare May 23, 2023 18:28

Give channel descriptions in flutter channel

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auto-submit bot merged commit 9c7a9e7 into flutter:master May 23, 2023
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Hixie deleted the channel branch May 23, 2023 19:59

engine-flutter-autoroll mentioned this pull request May 24, 2023

Roll Flutter from f86c529b2cd2 to 216605b60f67 (18 revisions) flutter/packages#4071

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…instead of upstream for channel name (flutter/flutter#126936)

This was referenced May 25, 2023

Support minifcation for apps that depend on AGP 8 and integration_test #127628

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i127682 android api 33 test support #127689

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itsjustkevin mentioned this pull request Jul 25, 2023

Add release schedule to the 'Upgrading Flutter' page flutter/website#9119

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…instead of upstream for channel name (flutter/flutter#126936)

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Give channel descriptions in `flutter channel`, use branch instead of upstream for channel name #126936

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Hixie commented May 16, 2023 •

edited

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auto-submit bot commented May 22, 2023

Give channel descriptions in flutter channel, use branch instead of upstream for channel name #126936

Give channel descriptions in flutter channel, use branch instead of upstream for channel name #126936

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Hixie commented May 16, 2023 • edited

How we determine the channel name

How we display channels

Other changes

Reviewer notes

christopherfujino May 19, 2023

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auto-submit bot commented May 22, 2023

Give channel descriptions in `flutter channel`, use branch instead of upstream for channel name #126936

Give channel descriptions in `flutter channel`, use branch instead of upstream for channel name #126936

Hixie commented May 16, 2023 •

edited