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[PATCH 1/2] var doc: default editor and pager are configurable at build time

From
Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>
Date
Mar 31, 2012, 08:42 UTC
Message-ID
<20120331084234.GD4119@burratino>
In-Reply-To
<20120331084015.GC4119@burratino>

Some distributors customize the fallback pager and editor used by git commands when the user has not indicated a preference via the core.editor/core.pager configuration or GIT_EDITOR, GIT_PAGER, VISUAL, EDITOR, and PAGER environment variables, and git's build system provides DEFAULT_PAGER and DEFAULT_EDITOR makefile settings to help them with that (see v1.6.6-rc0~24, 2009-11-20).

Unfortunately those compile-time settings do not affect the documentation, so the uninitiated user who tries to understand git by reading the git-var(1) manpage can easily be confused when git falls back to 'nano' and 'more' instead of 'vi' and 'less'. Even if the distributor patches the distributed docs to reflect the new default, the user may read the official documentation from the git-htmldocs repository online and be confused in the same way.

Add a few words stating that the defaults are customizable at compile time to make the behavior crystal clear.

Reported-by: Rodrigo Silva (MestreLion) <linux@rodrigosilva.com>
Signed-off-by: Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>
---
 Documentation/git-var.txt |    6 ++++--
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/git-var.txt b/Documentation/git-var.txt
index 5317cc24..beef9e28 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-var.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-var.txt
@@ -43,13 +43,15 @@ GIT_EDITOR::
     `$SOME_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE`, `"C:\Program Files\Vim\gvim.exe"
     --nofork`.  The order of preference is the `$GIT_EDITOR`
     environment variable, then `core.editor` configuration, then
-    `$VISUAL`, then `$EDITOR`, and then finally 'vi'.
+    `$VISUAL`, then `$EDITOR`, and then the default chosen at compile
+    time, which is usually 'vi'.
 
 GIT_PAGER::
     Text viewer for use by git commands (e.g., 'less').  The value
     is meant to be interpreted by the shell.  The order of preference
     is the `$GIT_PAGER` environment variable, then `core.pager`
-    configuration, then `$PAGER`, and then finally 'less'.
+    configuration, then `$PAGER`, and then the default chosen at
+    compile time (usually 'less').
 
 Diagnostics
 -----------
-- 
1.7.10.rc3
Previous: Jonathan NiederNext: Jonathan Nieder
Message 5 of 11 in “Re: [PATCH] Documentation: replace 'vi' for 'editor' to reflect build-time option”
  1. Jonathan NiederMar 30, 2012
  2. Junio C HamanoMar 30, 2012
  3. Bug#666250: [PATCH] Documentation: replace 'vi' for 'editor' to reflect build-time optionRodrigo Silva, Mar 30, 2012
  4. 0/2 Re: Documentation: replace 'vi' for 'editor' to reflect build-time optionJonathan Nieder, Mar 31, 2012
  5. 1/2 var doc: default editor and pager are configurable at build timeJonathan Nieder, Mar 31, 2012
  6. 2/2 var doc: advertise current DEFAULT_PAGER and DEFAULT_EDITOR settingsJonathan Nieder, Mar 31, 2012
  7. Junio C HamanoMar 31, 2012
  8. Jonathan NiederApr 18, 2012
  9. Phil HordMar 31, 2012
  10. Junio C HamanoMar 30, 2012
  11. Jonathan NiederMar 31, 2012

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