Re: [PATCH 06/12] log: add -P as a synonym for --perl-regexp

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Apr 10, 2017, 02:39 UTC
Message-ID: <CAPc5daV2mFs90AaKv9HnhPfwZ4_dyt5cFvb8ZJJQmXjto+0AbQ@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <20170408132506.5415-7-avarab@gmail.com>

On Sat, Apr 8, 2017 at 10:25 PM, Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@gmail.com> wrote:

Show 12 quoted lines

> Add a short -P option as a synonym for the longer --perl-regexp, for
> consistency with the options the corresponding grep invocations
> accept.
>
> This was intentionally omitted in commit 727b6fc3ed ("log --grep:
> accept --basic-regexp and --perl-regexp", 2012-10-03) for unspecified
> future use.
>
> Since nothing has come along in over 4 1/2 years that's wanted to use
> it, it's more valuable to make it consistent with "grep" than to keep
> it open for future use, and to avoid the confusion of -P meaning
> different things for grep & log, as is the case with the -G option.

I initially had a strong reaction to the above "4 1/2 years entitles us to do anything that might inconvenience future developers" reasoning, but as long as we already have -E for extended regexp usable, even if we will never be able to use -G for basic regexp, I am OK with giving -P for pcre to be consistent with "git grep". I'd be even supportive if others agree with this change.

Thanks.