Re: [PATCH] git grep: Add "-Z/--null" option as in GNU's grep.

From: Shawn O. Pearce <spearce@spearce.org>
Date: Oct 1, 2008, 14:52 UTC
Message-ID: <20081001145207.GW21310@spearce.org>
In-Reply-To: <alpine.DEB.1.00.0810011514530.22125@pacific.mpi-cbg.de.mpi-cbg.de>

Johannes Schindelin <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de> wrote:

Show 12 quoted lines

> On Wed, 1 Oct 2008, Raphael Zimmerer wrote:
> 
> > On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 04:16:19PM -0700, Shawn O. Pearce wrote:
> > > Elsewhere in Git we call this "-z", like "git ls-tree -z", "git log 
> > > -z".  Should we match grep or git convention here?
> > 
> > I'd tend to grep's convention, as most options of git-grep mimic those 
> > of grep. grep uses "-z" for \0 on _input_, so that would be very 
> > confusing for grep users...
> 
> I tend to disagree.  Git is _already_ perceived as too heterogenous, and 
> we should not add to that pile.

I already have my brain wired that "\0 terminators in Git are -z". Thus I'd assume "git grep -z .. | xargs -0" would work. Today it doesn't without this patch, but if the patch was added I'd assume it would work.

Perhaps I'm too close to git as a contributor and experienced user to realize any brain damage.

I'd rather stick to "-z" in Git.  At least its consistent.

Its not like tools outside of Git are all that consistent. GNU grep uses --null/-Z. xargs and perl use -0. find uses -print0. The human at the keyboard already has to navigate this rats nest between different tools, but within a tool (git) we should be as consistent as we can.

-- 
Shawn.