Re: [PATCHv3] git apply: option to ignore whitespace differences

From: Felipe Contreras <felipe.contreras@gmail.com>
Date: Jul 31, 2009, 00:27 UTC
Message-ID: <94a0d4530907301727h171a2581ybee2a5b2d77e7c05@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <20090729174000.6117@nanako3.lavabit.com>

On Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 8:40 AM, Nanako Shiraishi<nanako3@lavabit.com> wrote:

Show 18 quoted lines

> Quoting Giuseppe Bilotta <giuseppe.bilotta@gmail.com>
>
>>> Perhaps --ignore-space-change, to be consistent with a "git diff" option,
>>> would be more appropriate. Doing so has an added benefit of leaving the
>>> door open to add --ignore-all-space option to the patch application side
>>> later.
>>
>> On the other hand, --ignore-whitespace matches the option name (and
>> behavior) of the 'patch' command (just like "git diff"'s matches the
>> 'diff' option name and behavior). Principle of least surprise says
>> that someone coming to git from raw diff/patch setups would expect
>> --ignore-whitespace on the patch side.
>
> Not everybody shares your diff/patch background.
>
> I wouldn't be surprised if git were the first system they ever learn for
> majority of users of version control systems in this century, especially
> because now there are many books written on it.

That's not relevant, "white space" is an already used concept.

Google: ignore space change: 17,300,000 ignore white space: 181,000,000

> Isn't it more important for git to be internally consistent across its
> commands for such an audience to satisfy the principle of least surprise?

Perhaps, but you are forgetting the option to change the current commands' arguments.

-- 
Felipe Contreras