Re: [PATCH v4 1/2] revision.c: implement --reverse=before for walks

From: Johannes Sixt <j6t@kdbg.org>
Date: Apr 27, 2026, 07:33 UTC
Message-ID: <971f19db-eb10-4c88-8d5d-3f4f7f92db73@kdbg.org>
In-Reply-To: <xmqq8qa852b5.fsf@gitster.g>

Am 27.04.26 um 08:45 schrieb Junio C Hamano:

Show 5 quoted lines

> I think "after" and "before" comes from "Do other things (including
> count limiting) and then apply reverse after all that" and would be
> very much understandable to those who know how the machinery works,
> but should mere mortals need to know the machinery only to use "git
> log"?

I fully share your sentiments regarding "after" and "before" being too much tied to the machinery, but...

> I wonder --reverse=oldest and --reverse=newest is easier to teach
> and explain?  I dunno.

What does it mean to "revert the oldest"? Or "the newest"? If at all, then this "newest" and "oldest" must be a restriction that applies to --max-count in some way. Perhaps we need a --max-count-oldest option, then --reverse does not have to be touched at all, because it is still applied only after the set of commits to show has been determined.

-- Hannes