From: Junio C Hamano Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2013 07:39:40 GMT Subject: Re: [PATCH 4/5] git-log.txt: rewrite note on why "--" may be required Message-ID: <7v4nf0wcw3.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org> In-Reply-To: <7v8v4cwd6g.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org> Junio C Hamano writes: > Ramkumar Ramachandra writes: > >> Junio C Hamano wrote: >>> I think "branch names" was an attempt to make it more newbie >>> friendly by sacrificing technical accuracy. With the suggested >>> update (see the review for the previous one), it would be easier to >>> read if this part said "options or the revision range". >> >> Why does it have to be a range? It might well be a list of revisions, > > Study "Specifying Ranges" section of gitrevisions and come back, > perhaps? A bit more specifically, there is a reason why we list "Specifying Revisions" and "Specifying Ranges" separately in that manual page. I think you are trying explain "git log --short A B ^C" as if it takes "--short" (which is an option), "A", "B", and "^C" (all of which are revisions). And I am saying that is wrong. It is "--short" (which is an option) and "A B ^C" (which is a revision range). "git log --short A" is taking "--short" (an option) and "A". This "A" is still a revision range and not a single revision. It is a single commit that is used to name a revision range which is the entire history behind the commit "A".