Re: [PATCH 01/10] doc: various spelling fixes

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Apr 12, 2013, 19:12 UTC
Message-ID: <7vy5cnd0m4.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <20130412064953.GB5710@elie.Belkin>

Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com> writes:

Show 6 quoted lines

>    Note that if per-instance configuration file exists, then system-wide
> -  configuration is _not used at all_.  This is quite untypical and suprising
> +  configuration is _not used at all_.  This is quite untypical and surprising
>    behavior.  On the other hand changing current behavior would break backwards
>    compatibility and can lead to unexpected changes in gitweb behavior.
>    Therefore gitweb also looks for common system-wide configuration file,

Hmm, "atypical", isn't it?

The flow of the text is awkward. "This is bad. Oh the other hand, better is broken. Therefore ..." forces readers to make multiple guesses while reading: "ok, bad, so you plan to change it and warn us about upcoming change? oh, not that, changing it is bad, so we have to live with it? oh, not that, there is another one that is common and that is what we can use".

It may be a good idea to rewrite this paragraph to avoid such a mental roller-coaster in the first place.

    The GITWEB_CONFIG_SYSTEM system-wide configuration file is only
    used for instances that lack per-instance configuration file.
    You can use GITWEB_CONFIG_COMMON file to keep common default
    settings that apply to all instances.

or something.

Not asking for a re-roll, but it may be a potential follow-up candidate.

Thanks.