Including external notes to a latex document

Question

I'm often writing scientific papers in collaboration with other authors, using a versioning system (mercurial) to manage the writing. When one of the authors wants to add a remark, we use a slightly enhanced version of marginpar. The problem is that in order to avoid to "pollute" the source code, the remark is removed once addressed, which sometimes makes it hard to keep track of the changes (even with mercurial, since revisions are not directly related with remarks).

Hence, I was wondering if there exists a way to have "external" notes to a Latex document, that are not in the source code, but can be included at compilation, by way of either absolute reference (e.g., line 140 of file.tex) or relative (e.g., at \label{lab}).

For instance, I could the following file, in the same directory than introduction.tex:

Note 1, line 237, introduction.tex: This definition does not work in this special case

SOLVED by commit 23

Note 2, \ref{def:test}: This definition still needs to work this special case

PENDING

When compiling the file introduction.tex, I could indicate to include the previous file, which would automatically add as a marginpar the Note 2, since it's PENDING.

Answer 1

Main file

\documentclass{article}
\def\noteref#1#2{\csname noteref#2\endcsname{#1}}

\def\noterefSOLVED#1#2#3{}

\def\noterefPENDING#1#2#3{%
  \expandafter\def\csname noteref-#1\endcsname{\marginpar{#3}}}

\let\oldlabel\label
\def\label#1{%
\oldlabel{#1}%
\csname noteref-#1\endcsname}


\input{\jobname-notes}

\begin{document}

\section{intro\label{aa}}

stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff
stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff
stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff
stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff
\begin{enumerate}
\item thing one\label{bb}
\item thing two\label{cc}
\end{enumerate}
stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff
stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff
stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff
stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff
stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff here stuff

\end{document}

I used TeX markup in the comment file to make it easier, it would be possible to parse the plain text you suggested, but TeX is better at TeX markup:-)

\noteref{aa}{SOLVED}{by commit 23}
{This definition does not work in this special case}


\noteref{bb}{PENDING}{}
{This definition still needs to work this special case}