Re: [PATCH/RFC] Cleanup Documentation

From: Stefan Beller <sbeller@google.com>
Date: Jun 20, 2017, 16:57 UTC
Message-ID: <CAGZ79kbJx4p2y6Vjp3dVBP2pd=MYa_j3Mxfv=zUygHY-bHj0wQ@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <20170620031214.7616-1-kaarticsivaraam91196@gmail.com>

On Mon, Jun 19, 2017 at 8:12 PM, Kaartic Sivaraam <kaarticsivaraam91196@gmail.com> wrote:

Show 13 quoted lines

> Make following changes to the git-submodule
> documentation:
>
> * Remove redundancy
> * Remove unclear back reference
> * Use more appropriate word
> * Quote important word
>
> Suggestions-by: Stefan Beller <sbeller@google.com>
> Signed-off-by: Kaartic Sivaraam <kaarticsivaraam91196@gmail.com>
> ---
>  Currently used the word "canonical" instead of "humanish". If that word
>  sounds more suitable then this is a [PATCH] and not a [PATCH/RFC].

canonical: "according to recognized rules or scientific laws." sounds about right. :)

Show 40 quoted lines

>
>  Documentation/git-submodule.txt | 37 +++++++++++++++----------------------
>  1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 22 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/git-submodule.txt b/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
> index 74bc6200d..045fef417 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
> @@ -63,14 +63,6 @@ add [-b <branch>] [-f|--force] [--name <name>] [--reference <repository>] [--dep
>         to the changeset to be committed next to the current
>         project: the current project is termed the "superproject".
>  +
> -This requires at least one argument: <repository>. The optional
> -argument <path> is the relative location for the cloned submodule
> -to exist in the superproject. If <path> is not given, the
> -"humanish" part of the source repository is used ("repo" for
> -"/path/to/repo.git" and "foo" for "host.xz:foo/.git").
> -The <path> is also used as the submodule's logical name in its
> -configuration entries unless `--name` is used to specify a logical name.
> -+
>  <repository> is the URL of the new submodule's origin repository.
>  This may be either an absolute URL, or (if it begins with ./
>  or ../), the location relative to the superproject's default remote
> @@ -87,21 +79,22 @@ If the superproject doesn't have a default remote configured
>  the superproject is its own authoritative upstream and the current
>  working directory is used instead.
>  +
> -<path> is the relative location for the cloned submodule to
> -exist in the superproject. If <path> does not exist, then the
> -submodule is created by cloning from the named URL. If <path> does
> -exist and is already a valid Git repository, then this is added
> -to the changeset without cloning. This second form is provided
> -to ease creating a new submodule from scratch, and presumes
> -the user will later push the submodule to the given URL.
> +The optional argument <path> is the relative location for the cloned
> +submodule to exist in the superproject. If <path> is not given, the
> +canonical part of the source repository is used ("repo" for
> +"/path/to/repo.git" and "foo" for "host.xz:foo/.git"). If <path>
> +exists and is already a valid Git repository, then this is added
> +to the changeset without cloning.

While this was just reflowed and not newly introduced, I am still left wondering what a changeset is in Git terms. Our Documentation/glossary says:

  [[def_changeset]]changeset::
  BitKeeper/cvsps speak for "<<def_commit,commit>>". Since Git does not
  store changes, but states, it really does not make sense to use the term
  "changesets" with Git.

Maybe we should say instead:

    If <path>exists and is already a valid Git repository,
    then this is staged for commit without cloning.

Show 19 quoted lines

> The <path> is also used as the
> +submodule's logical name in its configuration entries unless `--name`
> +is used to specify a logical name.
>  +
> -In either case, the given URL is recorded into .gitmodules for
> -use by subsequent users cloning the superproject. If the URL is
> -given relative to the superproject's repository, the presumption
> -is the superproject and submodule repositories will be kept
> -together in the same relative location, and only the
> -superproject's URL needs to be provided: git-submodule will correctly
> -locate the submodule using the relative URL in .gitmodules.
> +The given URL is recorded into `.gitmodules` for use by subsequent users
> +cloning the superproject. If the URL is given relative to the
> +superproject's repository, the presumption is the superproject and
> +submodule repositories will be kept together in the same relative
> +location, and only the superproject's URL needs to be provided.
> +git-submodule will correctly locate the submodule using the relative
> +URL in .gitmodules.
>

With or without this nit addressed, this patch looks good to me,

Thanks, Stefan