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Re: as promised, docs: git for the confused

From
RRandy.Dunlap <rdunlap@xenotime.net>
Date
Dec 9, 2005, 16:49 UTC
Message-ID
<Pine.LNX.4.58.0512090846480.23358@shark.he.net>
In-Reply-To
<20051209140123.3234.qmail@science.horizon.com>
On Fri, 9 Dec 2005 linux@horizon.com wrote:
Show 13 quoted lines
> >> Unfortunately, given the number of commands, you can't just document
> >> them well individually.  Some overview of how they fit together into
> >> a system is required.
>
> > Hmm. Well, actually... what's the point? If I want to get a really quick
> > overview, I do
> >
> >	whatis git
> >
> > and it will DTRT. But when do I need something more detailed but not yet
> > the manual page of the given command?
>
> "I want to do X and Y but not Z.  What commands are worth knowing?"

I agree big time. Even for quilt (about 30 commands), I wrote a summary (cheat sheet) of usage models:

a. making a new patch: use this series of commands b. importing patches: use this other series of commands c. other patch management commands

Show 16 quoted lines
> I have 106 git-* commands available to me (my document covers 105;
> I'll have to find the extra), and the biggest question I have is
> "how many of those man pages can I get away with NOT reading?"
>
> Heck, that categorized list is what I started out writing, and I happen
> to think it's the most important part of the whole document.
>
> The man page tells me HOW to execute a command.  But before I'm ready for
> that level of detail, I need to figure out WHICH command to execute.
> To be specific, I need to know the terrain just well enough so I can
> plan a route from where I am to where I want to be.  Then I can look
> into the details of each step.
>
> But without that overview, my trip is going to take me into a lot of dead
> ends, because I'm executing commands that I think are getting me closer,
> but I have the wrong mental model of what "close" is.
-- 
~Randy
Previous: linux@horizon.comNext: Junio C Hamano
Message 4 of 28 in “Re: as promised, docs: git for the confused”
  1. linux@horizon.comDec 9, 2005
  2. Petr BaudisDec 9, 2005
  3. linux@horizon.comDec 9, 2005
  4. Randy.DunlapDec 9, 2005
  5. Junio C HamanoDec 9, 2005
  6. linux@horizon.comDec 9, 2005
  7. Junio C HamanoDec 9, 2005
  8. Linus TorvaldsDec 12, 2005
  9. Timo HirvonenDec 12, 2005
  10. Linus TorvaldsDec 12, 2005
  11. Randal L. SchwartzDec 12, 2005
  12. Joshua N PritikinDec 13, 2005
  13. Randal L. SchwartzDec 13, 2005
  14. Junio C HamanoDec 13, 2005
  15. Linus TorvaldsDec 13, 2005
  16. H. Peter AnvinDec 13, 2005
  17. Junio C HamanoDec 13, 2005
  18. Randal L. SchwartzDec 13, 2005
  19. Tip of the day: archaeologyJunio C Hamano, Dec 13, 2005
  20. Linus TorvaldsDec 13, 2005
  21. Junio C HamanoDec 13, 2005
  22. Junio C HamanoDec 12, 2005
  23. Everyday: some examples.Junio C Hamano, Dec 13, 2005
  24. Petr BaudisDec 9, 2005
  25. linux@horizon.comDec 9, 2005
  26. Junio C HamanoDec 10, 2005
  27. Junio C HamanoDec 10, 2005
  28. linux@horizon.comDec 10, 2005

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