Re: [PATCH] git-add.txt: Order options alphabetically

From: Kevin Ballard <kevin@sb.org>
Date: Dec 1, 2010, 22:04 UTC
Message-ID: <39ABD9CC-45F4-4C2D-8081-56F9681C563C@sb.org>
In-Reply-To: <87bp55uw96.fsf@picasso.cante.net>

On Dec 1, 2010, at 11:29 AM, Jari Aalto wrote:

>    - You read from top to bottom, therefore A-Z.

What does that have to do with anything? Very rarely does it make sense to try to read options in alphabetical format. If the reader is, in fact, reading from top-to-bottom straight through, they will certainly appreciate having related options grouped together.

>    - GNU project uses it in manual pages. It looks good, it looks
>      professional, it looks clean. And it works when searching (= no
>      oriantation problems regardless of tools; even when you print on
>      paper when you don't have any computerized aids to help your search.).

"Looks clean" is not a good reason to reduce clarity in the documentation. Comprehension and ease-of-readability are far more important than visual aesthetics.

-Kevin Ballard