Re: [RFC/PATCH 0/2] git diff <(command1) <(command2)

From: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
Date: Nov 12, 2016, 07:06 UTC
Message-ID: <20161112070619.hto3lehbyh6oamql@sigill.intra.peff.net>
In-Reply-To: <1478931094.12153.3.camel@kaarsemaker.net>

On Sat, Nov 12, 2016 at 07:11:34AM +0100, Dennis Kaarsemaker wrote:

Show 6 quoted lines

> >  * If normal "diff" that follows symlinks by default has an option
> >    to disable it, then it is OK to also add --no-follow-symlinks
> >    that is only valid in the --no-index mode, so that we can mimick
> >    it better (I do not think this is the case, though).
> 
> It does not, so no new option.

There is "--no-dereference", but it is not that helpful:

  $ echo one >1
  $ echo two >2
  $ ln -s 1 sl1
  $ ln -s 2 sl2
  $ diff --no-dereference sl1 sl2
  Symbolic links sl1 and sl2 differ
  $ diff --no-dereference sl1 2
  File sl1 is a symbolic link while file 2 is a regular file

So it does do the thing we are talking about here, but diff's handling of non-file content is not nearly as useful as git's.

That said, I have no problem with proceeding without it and waiting until somebody actually shows up who really _wants_ --no-dereference. I won't be surprised if that never happens.

-Peff