Re: [PATCH 06/10] cat-file: add --batch-check=<format>

From: Ramkumar Ramachandra <artagnon@gmail.com>
Date: Jul 10, 2013, 14:51 UTC
Message-ID: <CALkWK0=RtB2ddpGhZO0RAjzQXNfxHBE47bnp6KaVFz=Hicj8sw@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <20130710114546.GF21963@sigill.intra.peff.net>

Jeff King wrote:

Show 14 quoted lines

> +If `--batch` or `--batch-check` is given, `cat-file` will read objects
> +from stdin, one per line, and print information about them.
> +
> +You can specify the information shown for each object by using a custom
> +`<format>`. The `<format>` is copied literally to stdout for each
> +object, with placeholders of the form `%(atom)` expanded, followed by a
> +newline. The available atoms are:
> +
> +If no format is specified, the default format is `%(objectname)
> +%(objecttype) %(objectsize)`.
> +
> +If `--batch` is specified, the object information is followed by the
> +object contents (consisting of `%(objectsize)` bytes), followed by a
> +newline.

I find this slightly hideous, and would have expected an %(objectcontents) or similar.

Perhaps --batch-check should become a non-configurable alias for --batch="%(objectname) %(objecttype) %(objectsize)", and let --batch default to the format "%(objectname) %(objecttype) %(objectsize) %(objectcontents)".

I'm frankly okay with not having --pretty, and making the output in the non-batch mode non-configurable (does anyone care?).