Re: git log vs git diff vs --name-status

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Aug 23, 2007, 09:33 UTC
Message-ID: <7vr6lutx1p.fsf@gitster.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <20070823084512.GB31174@genesis.frugalware.org>

VMiklos <vmiklos@frugalware.org> writes:

> Na Thu, Aug 23, 2007 at 10:43:15AM +0200, VMiklos <vmiklos@frugalware.org> pisal(a):
>> M       dir
>
> sorry, i needed the -r option

I know.

I've been debating myself if --name-status should imply -r (recursive behaviour) for "git log". More specifically, I think a reasonable guiding principles would be something like:

 * Anything that looks at the file contents level change (that
   is, -p, --stat and --numstat) should always imply recursive;

 * Anything that is Porcelain should always imply recursive.

I am fairly certain about the first one, but not absolutely sure about the latter. The first principle does not justify making your example to recurse, but the second, if we accept it, would.