Re: [doc] User Manual Suggestion

From: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
Date: Apr 24, 2009, 23:14 UTC
Message-ID: <20090424231436.GA15058@coredump.intra.peff.net>
In-Reply-To: <alpine.LNX.2.00.0904241852500.2147@iabervon.org>

On Fri, Apr 24, 2009 at 07:11:40PM -0400, Daniel Barkalow wrote:

Show 10 quoted lines

> > Let's start a reformation of the git terminology to use analogies that
> > have been around since the dawn of computing: 'memory', 'address', and
> > 'pointer'.
> 
> I actually think calling them "sha1s" is better, simply because this bit 
> of jargon doesn't mean anything else (git deals with email, so "address" 
> is overloaded). And the term is already in use for this particular case, 
> and it doesn't mean anything else at all (since, of course, the crypto 
> thing is "SHA-1", not "sha1"), and it's short (which is important for 
> making it easy to look at usage help).

Junio suggested "object name" in another thread, which I think is nicely descriptive.

FWIW, I think the pointer nomenclature has terrible connotations. I think everyone who works on git groks pointers just fine, but aren't they generally reviled among the progrmaming populace as the most complex and error-prone part of learning to program? Do we really need to increase git's reputation as complex and error-prone? ;)

-Peff