Re: [PATCH] git-add: introduce --edit (to edit the diff vs. the index)

> On Sat, Apr 11, 2009 at 2:10 AM, Johannes Schindelin
> <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de> wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > On Fri, 10 Apr 2009, Ping Yin wrote:
> >
> >> On Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 10:00 AM, Ping Yin <pkufranky@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> > On Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 5:30 AM, Johannes Schindelin
> >> > <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de> wrote:
> >> >> With "git add -e [<files>]", Git will fire up an editor with the 
> >> >> current diff relative to the index (i.e. what you would get with 
> >> >> "git diff [<files>]").
> >> >>
> >> >> Now you can edit the patch as much as you like, including 
> >> >> adding/removing lines, editing the text, whatever.  Make sure, 
> >> >> though, that the first character of the hunk lines is still a 
> >> >> space, a plus or a minus.
> >> >>
> >> >> After you closed the editor, Git will adjust the line counts of 
> >> >> the hunks if necessary, thanks to the --recount option of apply, 
> >> >> and commit the patch.  Except if you deleted everything, in which 
> >> >> case nothing happens (for obvious reasons).
> >> >>
> >> >> Signed-off-by: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de> 
> >> >> ---
> >> >>
> >> >>     I actually promised myself not to resend this patch, but a   
> >> >>   certain guy who has a hat now asked for it.
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> > I am that guy :-). Thanks. Sometimes "add -e" is more useful than 
> >> > "add -p" since i can see the full context when editing the patch. 
> >> > However, sometimes the ability to edit the index directly is even 
> >> > more useful. For example, if it's a big change (or rewritten), it 
> >> > is hard to edit the patch instead of the index (in diff mode with 
> >> > the worktree file side by side). I even encounter a case that i 
> >> > can't beat the patch into a shape i want when using 'add -p'  ( it 
> >> > will fail to apply)
> >> >
> >>
> >> How about this?
> >>  'add --edit=patch' to edit the patch and "add --edit=index" to edit the index
> >
> > As others have mentioned, there _is_ a reason we have a working 
> > directory. Please understand this as a "I do not like the idea of 
> > editing the index directly at all".
> 
> When doing "add --edit" to edit the patch, do you work on the working 
> directory? I think they are just different ways to change the index?