Re: [PATCH] git-notes.txt: clarify -C vs. copy and -F

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Mar 29, 2011, 18:25 UTC
Message-ID: <7v7hbhss0g.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <7vbp0tss6t.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>

Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> writes:

Show 17 quoted lines

> Michael J Gruber <git@drmicha.warpmail.net> writes:
>
>> The current description of '-C' together with the analogy to 'git commit
>> -C' can lead to the wrong conclusion that '-C' copies notes between
>> objects. Make this clearer by rewording and pointing to 'copy'.
>>
>> The example for attaching binary notes with 'git hash-object' followed
>> by 'git notes add -C' immediately raises the question: "Why not use 'git
>> notes add -F'?". Answer it (the latter is not binary-safe).
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Michael J Gruber <git@drmicha.warpmail.net>
>> ---
>> In fact, the long name '--reuse-message' is really misleading, but I've been
>> around long enough to refrain from trying to change it ;)
>
> Yeah, it utterly is broken.  Why not fix it before people start making
> serious use of notes?

Actually I take it back and throw it again after doubling it. Not just the long name, but using -C/-c is already utterly broken. These are meant to reuse (meta)data associated with an existing object, not using some data that happens to be stored in a random loose blob. I don't think of any similar option anywhere in git.

Instead of mucking with the documentation, why not fix the behaviour to match what -C/-c/--reuse usually means, which is what the documentation describes?