Re: [PATCH] Add subcommand "help" to the list of most commonly used subcommands

From: Sverre Rabbelier <alturin@gmail.com>
Date: Jun 5, 2008, 19:15 UTC
Message-ID: <bd6139dc0806051215i3e1f1aecg26a4baa358504849@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <F9BB4443-EDCA-4941-9852-B84535DAD097@wincent.com>

On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 8:42 PM, Wincent Colaiuta <win@wincent.com> wrote:

> But if the user types "git help" they'll be presented with the exact same
> list of common commands again, at which point they'll probably wonder why
> Git suggested that.

This is exactly what I meant with my earlier comment.

Show 6 quoted lines

> Funnily enough, if they type "git help help" then they'll get the "git-help"
> man page. So, there is no command called "git-help" on the system, but from
> the user's perspective it walks, talks and quacks like all the "real"
> commands, and so they probably consider it to be one. Whether or not the
> "help" subcommand corresponds to a real executable or script is really just
> an implementation detail, I think.

I fully agree here, it doesn't matter if there is a 'git-help.sh' or 'git-help' executable, as long as from the users POV there is a 'git help' command should we advertise it.

> Having said that, I think your suggestion is sound if it were reworded as:
>
>  See 'man git' and 'git help [command]' for more information.

That would be good, since it does not advertise a git help command, instead it advertises 'git help command', which clearly -is- a command (since typing 'git help command' brings up a man page).

-- 
Cheers,

Sverre Rabbelier