From: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:23:52 GMT
Subject: Re: [RFC] 'git cat-file' needs a better design on its option interface
Message-ID: <alpine.LFD.2.01.0909241021120.3303@localhost.localdomain>
In-Reply-To: <3a3680030909240804w1399ed7fhd6367300544f34f@mail.gmail.com>



On Thu, 24 Sep 2009, Li Hong wrote:
> 
> When using 'git cat-file' recently, I find its option interface is somewhat
> inconvenient or mistakenly-designed.

You likely shouldn't use 'cat-file' at all. Have you looked at 'git show'? 
That's the command meant for human beings.

'git cat-file' is really really low-level plumbing. Humans should 
generally never use it. It's one of the original git commands (it was 
literally in the original git commit), and it does some really low-level 
stuff that is good for scripting but not for any normal use.

		Linus