Re: [RFC] Indicate that Git waits for user input via editor

From: Stefan Beller <sbeller@google.com>
Date: Nov 15, 2017, 18:37 UTC
Message-ID: <CAGZ79kb4DdV3P0z9qQkHMt9oj40sddfRWdT3k-fMj2-CJkwXiA@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <7CF0CF44-3772-48D9-A2EF-E501645A6211@gmail.com>

On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 10:07 AM, Lars Schneider <larsxschneider@gmail.com> wrote:

Show 11 quoted lines

>> Can this be put in a wrapper that opens the text editor?
>> The wrapper would print these lines and then open the text editor;
>> depending on the operating system, there might even be a command to
>> focus on that editor window.
>
> Yeah, that would be a workaround. However, in order to take these steps (write the
> wrapper, enable the focus command) the users needs to understand the problem.
> That's quite a leap especially for new Git users. They just get the feeling "Git
> is broken because it hangs".
>
> Can you imagine any downside for an "Opening editor for user input..." message?

"Wasting precious screen real estate for power users" (tm) So maybe if one can turn it off, this would be ok? Or even for known inline editors?

Show 5 quoted lines

>> Regarding Git, maybe improve the documentation for how to set the editor
>> variable?
>
> The sad truth is that 98% of the users do not read the documentation
> (made up number but close to my observed reality).

Yeah that is an excellent point, but you forgot the people who look at stackoverflow which of course links back to the docs in the first excellent reply.

In a way this suggestion of bettering the docs was a cheap way out, sorry.