Re: [PATCH] branch: add '-' to delete previous branch

From: Taylor Blau <me@ttaylorr.com>
Date: Apr 29, 2020, 20:35 UTC
Message-ID: <20200429203508.GA7899@syl.local>
In-Reply-To: <xmqqa72uvy7n.fsf@gitster.c.googlers.com>

On Wed, Apr 29, 2020 at 01:22:36PM -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote:

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> Taylor Blau <me@ttaylorr.com> writes:
>
> > Again, not sure that this is always the case. This *is* how 'git
> > checkout' works.
>
> To be honest, I am somewhat sympathetic to those who find "-" ==
> "@{-1}" unless it is used as an argument to "git checkout/switch".
> The use of "-" in "checkout" is the exception, not the norm, and it
> was sort of justifiable due to similarity to "cd -".  Both are
> commands to the computer you give to "go to the previous place".
>
> "git merge -", "git branch -d -" etc. are not about *going* to the
> previous place, and declaring the "-" is "previous place" is taking
> it a bit too far, at least to my taste.

OK, I could sympathize with that as well. I still think that my suggestion from earlier about documenting the fact that 'git branch -D' already understands '@{-N}' as a separate first patch is valid.

If I were the author, I'd cut that as a first patch, and discard the remainder if it sounds like we don't want to go with 'git branch -D -', which is fine by me. (I don't really care either way, and I can understand the arguments in both directions).

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> Oh, I do not like those who advocate "@" as a synonym for "HEAD",
> either.  If there is one simple thing I want to get rid of from the
> system, that's it ;-).
>
> Anyway...

Thanks, Taylor