Re: Re: [PATCH 1/3] checkout.c: add strict usage of -- before file_path

From: Philip Oakley <philipoakley@iee.org>
Date: May 13, 2018, 23:06 UTC
Message-ID: <190EC44928954138B9E9E78BA2323639@PhilipOakley>
In-Reply-To: <775fe020-be92-f65c-5a67-e83e6bf4777f@gmail.com>

From: "Dannier Castro L" <danniercl@gmail.com>

Show 29 quoted lines

> On 13/05/2018 00:03, Duy Nguyen wrote:
>
>> On Sun, May 13, 2018 at 4:23 AM, Dannier Castro L <danniercl@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>> For GIT new users, this complicated versatility of <checkout> could
>>> be very confused, also considering that actually the flag '--' is
>>> completely useless (added or not, there is not any difference for
>>> this command), when the same program messages promote the use of
>>> this flag.
>> I would like an option to revert back to current behavior. I'm not a
>> new user. I know what I'm doing. Please don't make me type more.
>>
>> And '--" is not completely useless. If you have <file> and <branch>
>> with the same name, you have to give "--" to to tell git what the
>> first argument means.
>
> Sure Duy, you're right, probably "completely useless" is not the correct
> definition, even according with the code I didn't find another useful
> case that is not file and branch with the same name. The program is able
> to know the type using only the name, turning "--" into an extra flag in
> most of cases.
>
> I think this solution could please you more: By default the configuration
> is the current, but the user has the chance to set this, for example:
>
> git config --global flag.strictdashdash true
>
> Thank you so much for the spent time reviewing the patch, this is my
> first one in this repository.

It maybe that after review you could suggest an appropriate rewording or re-arrangement of the man page to better highlight the proper use of the '--' disambiguation.

Perhaps frame the man page as if it is normal for the '--' to be included within command lines (which should be the case for scripts anyway!).

Then indicate that it isn't mandatory if the file/branch/dwim distinction is obvious. i.e. make sure that the man page is educational as well as being a reference that may be misunderstood.

Those well versed in the Git cli will normally omit the '--', only using it where necessary, however for a new users/readers of the man page, it may be better to be more explicit and avoid future misunderstandings.

-- Philip