Re: [RFC PATCH 0/1] Add lines to `git log --graph` to separate connected regions

From: Eric Sunshine <sunshine@sunshineco.com>
Date: Apr 7, 2024, 05:30 UTC
Message-ID: <CAPig+cQVQrrXrDqys-TyCqFynR6=pmbxs-NK-ca-s0K8mjADaA@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <20240407051031.6018-1-leduyquang753@gmail.com>

On Sun, Apr 7, 2024 at 1:10 AM Lê Duy Quang <leduyquang753@gmail.com> wrote:

Show 25 quoted lines

> `git log --graph`, when invoked with multiple starting revisions and some
> exclusions which cut the commit graph, may give a disconnected graph. In other
> words, the resulting graph has more than one separate connected regions. The
> command currently prints the connected regions on top of each other without any
> separation.
>
> This leads to a problem. Say there are two connected regions, each having two
> commits, the graph would look like this:
>
> * a2
> * a1
> * b2
> * b1
>
> which may lead to a misunderstanding that these four commits belong to the same
> timeline, i.e. b2 is a parent of a1.
>
> This patchset adds a separator line between each pair of connected regions to
> clarify that they are not actually connected:
>
> * a2
> * a1
> ---
> * b2
> * b1

This sort of information which explains why the patch may be desirable is not only helpful to reviewers of the submission, but will be helpful to future readers of the patch once it becomes part of the project's permanent history (assuming it is accepted). However, the cover letter does not become part of the project's history (it exists only in the mailing list). As such, please move this discussion into the commit message of the patch itself.