Re: [PATCH/RFC] Documentation/git-mailsplit.txt: Emphasize -o more
- From
Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
- Date
- Jan 12, 2009, 22:06 UTC
- Message-ID
- <7vhc44gowr.fsf@gitster.siamese.dyndns.org>
- In-Reply-To
- <877i50jjs8.fsf@jidanni.org>
jidanni@jidanni.org writes:
> The need for -o cannot be overstated. Else the arguments get > interpreted differently.
I do not think there is any ambiguity with the existing SYNOPSIS.
'git mailsplit' [-b] [-f<nn>] [-d<prec>] -o<directory> [--] [<mbox>|<Maildir>...]
Show 7 quoted lines
> +REQUIRED OPTIONS > +------- > +-o<directory>:: > + Directory in which to place the individual messages. > + -o is required or else arguments may be misinterpreted in a > + backwards compatibility mode. > +
I think you are being overly alarmist without being helpful.
You hint that there is a backwards compatible syntax but you do not say what it is, and you hint that the backwards compatible syntax is bad in some unspecified way by saying "misinterpreted", without substantiating the claim in any way.
The worst part in the new description is "may be", which only injects FUD ("is my use trigger that pitfall? how do I decide? the manual page does not say!") without being helpful at all to the readers.
Probably a better alternative would be to describe what the backward compatible syntax is and what it does (which I won't do here), and mention something like the attached patchlet, without moving where -o<dir> is described, _if_ you want to talk about it.
diff --git i/Documentation/git-mailsplit.txt w/Documentation/git-mailsplit.txt index 5cc94ec..1b12014 100644 --- i/Documentation/git-mailsplit.txt +++ w/Documentation/git-mailsplit.txt @@ -28,7 +28,10 @@ OPTIONS and new subdirectories. -o<directory>:: - Directory in which to place the individual messages. + Directory in which to place the individual messages. This option + is required in a modern usage of the command; when omitted, the + arguments are parsed differently and the command works in a + backward compatible mode (see below). -b:: If any file doesn't begin with a From line, assume it is a