Add link to rfcbot post from original post

[RalfJung]

In a long RFC/tracking issue, it can be really hard to find the post where rfcbot keeps track of checkboxes and concerns. Would it be possible for rfcbot to edit the original post of that issue/PR and add a link to the rfcbot post, so that it always just is one click away from the top of the page? That would make finding that post (and, in fact, finding out if that post even exists already) much easier.

To make things worse, GitHub sometimes folds the rfcbot post into the hidden comments, and then links which go directly to that post fail because it is not loaded. Is there a place to ask GitHub to please make it so that links directly to posts (using the anchor) keep working for hidden posts, e.g. by automatically un-hiding the post when it is referenced by the URL anchor? GitLab does something like that successfully for PRs, so it's certainly possible.

[Centril]

cc #213

[dwijnand]

cc #213

👍 To workaround the comment folding issue, how about rfcbot posts a comment when the PR is opened, and then when someone requests a "fcp merge" perhaps rfcbot could (1) edit its initial comment (comment number 2 of the thread) with the concerns and checkboxes, (2) and post a comment linking to that comment.

WDYT? Would a pull request along these lines be of interest?

More generally, are pull requests welcome to rfcbot or is it in low maintenance mode at the moment?

[Centril]

@dwijnand What you describe is basically what I had in mind but I never got around to implementing it.

A PR(s) would be nice, me or anp can review. :)

[Centril]

One drawback of this approach is however that if rfcbot proposals get cancelled and then changed (e.g. first merge then close) then you lose the history of the merge comment (they are distinct today).

[RalfJung]

Doesn't GH allow seeing the edit history nowadays?

Alternatively, the bot could keep old proposals on a folded block at the bottom of the post.

[dwijnand]

Let's rely on comment history for now and defer snapshotting the previous fcp to further down the road.

I'll try and give this a shot.

[dwijnand]

Also, care must be taken for already ongoing RFCs.

[Centril]

Yeah GH history makes sense; I think you'll want to be extra careful with the DB :)

[dwijnand]

(Btw, probably not going to do this one, at least any time soon, given the care it needs.)