Broadly speaking the update proceeds as follows: during the Ranking
phase we construct the intended graph of dependencies between patches
-(which involves select a merge order for the base branch of each
+(and incidentally select a merge order for the base branch of each
patch). Then during the Traversal phase we walk that graph from the
bottom up, constructing for each patch by a series of merges and other
operations first a new base branch head commit and then a new tip
requested in the commit $K$ ($K \in \pn$) for the patch $\p$.
\item[ $\pc \hasdirdep \p$ ]
-The Topbloke commit set $\pc$ has as a direct contributor the
-commit set $\p$. This is an acyclic relation.
+The patch $\pc$ has as a direct dependency the
+patch $\p$. This is an acyclic relation.
\item[ $\p \hasdep \pq$ ]
-The commit set $\p$ has as direct or indirect contributor the commit
-set $\pq$.
+The patch $\p$ has as direct or indirect dependency the
+patch $\pq$.
Acyclic; the completion of $\hasdirdep$ into a
partial order.
\item[ $\pendsof{\set J}{\p}$ ]
Convenience notation for
-the maximal elements of $\bigcup_{J \in \set J} \pendsof{J}{\p}$
+the $\le$-maximal elements of $\bigcup_{J \in \set J} \pendsof{J}{\p}$
(where $\set J$ is some set of commits).
\item[ $\pendsof{\set X}{\p} \le T$ ]
\item[ $h : \pc^{+/-} \mapsto \set H_{\pc^{+/-}}$ ]
Function for getting the existing heads $\set H$ of the branch $\pc^{+/-}$.
+These are the heads which will be merged and used in this update.
This will include the current local and remote git refs, as desired.
\item[ $g : \pc, \Gamma \mapsto \Gamma'$ ]
$\Gamma$ computed as an appropriate merge of the dependencies requested by the
sources and should return the complete actual set $\Gamma'$ of direct
dependencies to use. This allows the specification of any desired
-(acyclic) relation $\hasdirdep$.
+(acyclic) relations $\hasdirdep$ and $\hasdep$.
+
+\end{basedescript}
+
+\stdsection{Important variables and values in the update algorithm}
+
+\begin{basedescript}{
+\desclabelwidth{5em}
+\desclabelstyle{\nextlinelabel}
+}
+\item[ $\Gamma_{\pc}$ ]
+The desired direct dependencies of $\pc$, a set of patches.
+
+\item[ $\allpatches$ ]
+The set of all the patches we are dealing with (constructed
+during the update algorithm).
\end{basedescript}
\section{Ranking phase}
-We start with $\allpatches = \{ \}$. We repeat
-{\bf Rank-Recurse}($\pc_0$) until $\allpatches$ is unchanged.
+We run the following algorithm:
+\begin{enumerate}
+\item Set $\allpatches = \{ \}$.
+\item Repeatedly:
+\begin{enumerate}
+\item Clear out the graph $\hasdirdep$ so it has no edges.
+\item Execute $\alg{Rank-Recurse}(\pc_0)$
+\item Until $\allpatches$ remains unchanged.
+\end{enumerate}
+\end{enumerate}
-{\bf Rank-Recurse}($\pc$) is:
+$\alg{Rank-Recurse}(\pc)$ is:
\begin{enumerate}
-\item foo
-\item bar
+
+\item If we have already done $\alg{Rank-Recurse}(\pc)$ in this
+ranking iteration, do nothing. Otherwise:
+
+\item Add $\pc$ to $\allpatches$ if it is not there already.
+
+\item Set
+$$
+ \set S \iassign h(\pcn)
+ \cup
+ \bigcup_{\p \in \allpatches}
+ \bigcup_{H \in h(\pn) \lor H \in h(\py)}
+ \{ \baseof{E} \; | \; E \in \pendsof{H}{\pcy} \}
+$$
+
+and $W \iassign w(h(\pcn))$
+
+\item While $\exists_{S \in \set S} S \ge W$,
+update $W \assign S$ and $\set S \assign \set S \, \backslash \{ S \}$
+
+(This will often remove $W$ from $\set S$. Afterwards, $\set S$
+is a collection of heads to be merged into $W$.)
+
+\item Choose an ordering of $\set S$, $S_i$ for $i=1 \ldots n$.
+
+\item For each $S_i$ in turn, choose a corresponding $M_i$
+such that $$
+ M_i \le S_i \land \left[
+ M_i \le W \lor \bigexists_{j<i} M_i \le S_j
+ \right]
+$$
+
+\item Set $\Gamma \iassign \depsreqof{W}$.
+
+If there are multiple candidates we prefer $M_i \in \pcn$
+if available.
+
+\item For each $i \ldots 1..n$, update our putative direct
+dependencies:
+$$
+\Gamma \assign \alg{set-merge}\left[\Gamma,
+ \left( \begin{cases}
+ M_i \in \pcn : & \depsreqof{M_i} \\
+ M_i \not\in \pcn : & \{ \}
+ \end{cases} \right),
+ \depsreqof{S_i}
+ \right]
+$$
+
+TODO define $\alg{set-merge}$
+
+\item Finalise our putative direct dependencies
+$
+\Gamma \assign g(\pc, \Gamma)
+$
+
+\item For each direct dependency $\pd \in \Gamma$,
+
+\begin{enumerate}
+\item Add an edge $\pc \hasdirdep \pd$ to the digraph (adding nodes
+as necessary).
+If this results in a cycle, abort entirely (as the function $g$ is
+inappropriate; a different $g$ could work).
+\end{enumerate}
+\item Run $\alg{Rank-Recurse}(\pd)$.
+
\end{enumerate}
+\subsection{Results of the ranking phase}
+
+By the end of the ranking phase, we have recorded the following
+information:
+
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+$ \allpatches, \hasdirdep $ and hence the completion of $\hasdirdep$
+into the partial order $\hasdep$.
+
+\item
+For each $\pc \in \allpatches$,
+the base branch starting point commit $W^{\pcn} = W$.
+
+\item
+For each $\pc$,
+the direct dependencies $\Gamma^{\pc} = \Gamma$.
+
+\item
+For each $\pc$,
+the ordered set of base branch sources $\set S^{\pcn} = \set S,
+S^{\pcn}_i = S_i$
+and corresponding merge bases $M^{\pcn}_i = M_i$.
+
+\end{itemize}
+
+\section{Traversal phase}
+
+For each patch $C \in \allpatches$ in topological order by $\hasdep$,
+lowest first:
+
+\begin{enumerate}
+
+\item Optionally, attempt $\alg{Merge-Base}(\pc)$.
+
+\end{enumerate}
+
+
\section{Planning phase}
The results of the planning phase consist of: