Re: [PATCH] Documentation/fast-import: put explanation of M 040000 <dataref> "" in context

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Jan 18, 2011, 21:43 UTC
Message-ID: <7vk4i1khvp.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <20110118211654.GA22763@burratino>

Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com> writes:

Show 11 quoted lines

> diff --git a/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt b/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt
> index 43d2174..7068de3 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt
> @@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ The value of `<path>` must be in canonical form. That is it must not:
>  * contain the special component `.` or `..` (e.g. `foo/./bar` and
>    `foo/../bar` are invalid).
>  
> -In `040000` mode, `<path>` can be the empty string (`""`)
> +If `<mode>` is `040000`, `<path>` can be the empty string (`""`)
>  to specify the root of the tree.

For whom is this paragraph written? People who produce g-f-i streams, or people who interpret somebody else's g-f-i streams?

I am wondering if it is easier to read if we consistently target the former, something like this:

        The root of the tree can be represented by `<mode> 040000` with an
        empty string as `<path>`.

because all the surrounding description seems to describe rules (e.g. "quoting should be used", "The value of `<path>` must be ...").