From: Marat Khalili Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2026 17:16:38 GMT Subject: Re: [PATCH v5] doc: clarify --follow's single-file limitation Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <20260926-document-log-no-follow-v5-1-d04efeca7551@gmail.com> On 26/09/2026 12:56, Tamir Duberstein wrote: > Saying that --follow works only for a single file leaves open whether > other inputs are rejected or ignored. In particular, log.follow enables > following for a directory argument, although that use is unsupported. > > Distinguish errors for an explicit --follow with no paths or multiple > paths from the configured default, which has no effect in those cases. > State that results for directory arguments and accepted wildcard > patterns are unspecified, and document --no-follow to disable the mode. nit: "document --no-follow disabling the mode"? > > Assisted-by: LLM > Signed-off-by: Tamir Duberstein LGTM FWIW (looking at this part of the code right now considering possible improvements). Handing of --follow has a few more other limitations that can be documented, but fixing them is probably more interesting. Disclaimer: I just joined and did not follow this thread from the beginning. Acked-by: Marat Khalili // snip > --- > Documentation/config/log.adoc | 10 +++++++--- > Documentation/git-log.adoc | 10 ++++++++-- > 2 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) > > diff --git a/Documentation/config/log.adoc b/Documentation/config/log.adoc > index f7dfce69b5..4efdd4f61b 100644 > --- a/Documentation/config/log.adoc > +++ b/Documentation/config/log.adoc > @@ -51,9 +51,13 @@ This is the same as the `--decorate` option of the `git log`. > details. Defaults to `separate`. > > `log.follow`:: > - If `true`, `git log` will act as if the `--follow` option was used when > - a single is given. This has the same limitations as `--follow`, > - i.e. it cannot be used to follow multiple files. > + If `true`, `git log` enables `--follow` when a single is > + given. With no paths, multiple paths, or pathspec magic unsupported > + by `--follow`, this setting has no effect. > ++ > +A single directory argument or an accepted wildcard pattern still > +enables `--follow`, with unspecified results. Use `--no-follow` to > +override this setting. > > `log.graphColors`:: > A list of colors, separated by commas, that can be used to draw > diff --git a/Documentation/git-log.adoc b/Documentation/git-log.adoc > index fb3ac11283..a40b3d1c05 100644 > --- a/Documentation/git-log.adoc > +++ b/Documentation/git-log.adoc > @@ -28,8 +28,14 @@ OPTIONS > ------- > > `--follow`:: > - Continue listing the history of a file beyond renames > - (works only for a single file). > +`--no-follow`:: > + Continue listing the history of a single file beyond renames. > + An explicit `--follow` requires exactly one path argument; Git > + reports an error if none or more than one is given. > ++ > +A directory argument is accepted and enables `--follow`, but results > +for directories and accepted wildcard patterns are unspecified. > +Use `--no-follow` for directory history or wildcard matching. > > `--no-decorate`:: > `--decorate[=(short|full|auto|no)]`:: > > --- > base-commit: 0f8e75abebff0877cae681a3d5ff31ac47f54220 > change-id: 20260507-document-log-no-follow-72c33dc15017