Allow module maintainers to disable patch files on projects they maintain

I like the idea a lot. This will cause a lot of irritation though, as we still see users a lot who create patches from MRs since they believe that this is the right way to get a static file. However, not even that is supported by the DA. The recommended way is to only use local patch files.

I'd support a way to generate patches from merge requests. So if there is a patch that someone needs they can go to the commit and there is a button to generate a patch that then gets posted to the issue (assuming one doesn't already exist)

It could be named something like project_name-issuenumber-commithash.patch

Then users can still get their patch files, but only if they contribute their change back to the actual merge request.

I guess that removing diff and patch from the allowed extensions would be the easiest and quickest way forward. Adding more logic than that might be overcomplicating things at this point.

Once we move to GitLab issues it will be more obvious that uploading a patch is just uploading a file, and it should not be any more valuable that any uploaded files to an issue, like a screenshot.

In the interest of making everything easier for people to collaborate, I think we should encourage people to submit code in whatever manner is easiest for them. If someone uploads a patch file because that's what they know how to do then so be it, let them do that, let someone else turn it into a merge request later on.

It's fairly simple to generate a patch file with Gitlab, maybe the drupal.org UI could add a button linking to that directly?

I only accept code from Merge Requests on my projects, but it's still helpful if someone adds code in a patch file. It could be nice if Drupal.org notified folks when they upload a patch that the project maintainer prefers a merge request with a link to documentation on how to make one.

It's fairly simple to generate a patch file with Gitlab, maybe the drupal.org UI could add a button linking to that directly?

We already have this, it's the “plain diff” link next to the merge request on the issue page. And it is under the Code dropdown at the top right of merge request pages on GitLab.

I'd support a way to generate patches from merge requests. So if there is a patch that someone needs they can go to the commit and there is a button to generate a patch that then gets posted to the issue (assuming one doesn't already exist)

Since issues are moving to GitLab, we’re not going to spend extra effort on something like this. Issues don’t need patches of any sort right now, except maybe in edge cases like a patch is needed for a library or dependency outside of the project.

I guess that removing diff and patch from the allowed extensions would be the easiest and quickest way forward. Adding more logic than that might be overcomplicating things at this point.

Once we move to GitLab issues it will be more obvious that uploading a patch is just uploading a file, and it should not be any more valuable that any uploaded files to an issue, like a screenshot.

Right - we won't be able to stop people from uploading patches to issues on GitLab.

And the easy way here would be what to implement, if anything - disallowing .patch & .diff uploads for all issues in all projects at once. The extra time and complexity to build an opt-in system would be better spent getting issues closer to being ready to migrate.

While just disallowing .diff & .patch uploads would be technically easy, I don’t think it would be worth the disruption when we’re going to allow them again after migrating.