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Re: [PATCH] branch: advice using git-help(1) instead of man(1)

From
KHKristoffer Haugsbakk <kristofferhaugsbakk@fastmail.com>
Date
Dec 2, 2025, 15:28 UTC
Message-ID
<de40b6b8-c110-43ae-aff2-84abbc2948dd@app.fastmail.com>
In-Reply-To
<xmqq345yjejo.fsf@gitster.g>
On Fri, Nov 28, 2025, at 17:40, Junio C Hamano wrote:
Show 21 quoted lines
> kristofferhaugsbakk@fastmail.com writes:
>
>> From: Kristoffer Haugsbakk <code@khaugsbakk.name>
>>
>> 8fbd903e (branch: advise about ref syntax rules, 2024-03-05) added
>> an advice about checking git-check-ref-format(1) for the ref syntax
>> rules. The advice uses man(1). It’s better to use Git’s own git-help(1)
>> instead of an external command.
>
> Substatiate "better" a bit better?  If there were a universal help
> facility, we wouldn't have had to invent our own, and that would
> have been even better, but since we do not live in such an ideal
> world, we cater to people who live in a man-less land by having our
> own.
>
> In other words, "An external command" is not the issue.  Some people
> living in a man-less land is.
>
>     ... for the ref syntax rules and refers to the man(1) command,
>     which may not be available on some platforms.  Refer to 'git
>     help' instead.

I thought that’s what I did. This is output from git(1), not from a Debian/Ubuntu/Arch Linux distribution.

But people who only use Mac/Linux/(BSDs?) might not necessarily consider this point. So I’ll make it clearer.

Previous: Junio C HamanoNext: kristofferhaugsbakk@fastmail.com
Message 4 of 5 in “branch: advice using git-help(1) instead of man(1)”
  1. branch: advice using git-help(1) instead of man(1)kristofferhaugsbakk@fastmail.com, Nov 28, 2025
  2. Junio C HamanoNov 28, 2025
  3. Junio C HamanoNov 29, 2025
  4. Kristoffer HaugsbakkDec 2, 2025
  5. branch: advice using git-help(1) instead of man(1)kristofferhaugsbakk@fastmail.com, Dec 2, 2025

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