Re: [FAQ?] Rationale for git's way to manage the index

From: Jakub Narebski <jnareb@gmail.com>
Date: May 11, 2007, 11:26 UTC
Message-ID: <200705111326.35577.jnareb@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <7vd518gkyo.fsf@assigned-by-dhcp.cox.net>

On Fri, 11 May 2007, Junio C Hamano wrote:

Show 6 quoted lines

> Jakub Narebski <jnareb@gmail.com> writes:
> 
>> In the new version of git I *think* you can use "git add -u path/"
> 
> I know you meant well, but next time could you please check the
> fact before speaking?

> 		if (i < argc)
> 			die("-u and explicit paths are incompatible");

> The list is getting more and more cluttered recently, perhaps
> which is a good sign that more new people are actually using
> git.  Let's try to keep the signal quality of the messages on
> the list high.

I'm sorry I haven't checked this before writing, especially that information in the synopsis contradict a bit the information in the `-u' option description:

Documentation/git-add.txt:

  SYNOPSIS
  --------
  'git-add' [-n] [-v] [-f] [--interactive | -i] [-u] [--] <file>...

  -u::
        Update all files that git already knows about. This is what
        "git commit -a" does in preparation for making a commit.

I should have checked the facts before following the synopsis.

I think however that "git add -u dir/" could be quite useful; it is not needed to have `-u' and explicit paths incompatibile. I wouldn't change the fact that you can say "git add -u" and do not need "git add -u ." (like in the case without `-u' switch: you need "git add ." to 'add' all unignored files).

Below there is a patch which corrects synopsis for git add; unless you want to go the route of allowing "git add -u dir/"...

-- >8 --
From: Jakub Narebski <jnareb@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 13:22:13 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Documentation: Correct synopsis for git-add command

Change SYNOPISIS section of Documentation/git-add.txt to mark it explicitely that "-u option and explicit paths are incompatible", and that "add --interactive does not take any parameters".

Signed-off-by: Jakub Narebski <jnareb@gmail.com>
---
 Documentation/git-add.txt |    3 ++-
 1 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/git-add.txt b/Documentation/git-add.txt
index ea27018..e5fc0da 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-add.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-add.txt
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ git-add - Add file contents to the changeset to be committed next
 
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
-'git-add' [-n] [-v] [-f] [--interactive | -i] [-u] [--] <file>...
+'git-add' [-n] [-v] [-f] [-u | [--] <file>...]
+'git-add' (--interactive | -i)
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------

-- 
1.5.1.3


-- 
Jakub Narebski
Poland