From: David Kågedal <davidk@lysator.liu.se>
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 15:08:23 GMT
Subject: Re: [PATCH] Added -d and -e options to the "git" script.
Message-ID: <u5tpsr5aye0.fsf@lysator.liu.se>
In-Reply-To: <432ECE5A.7040703@gmail.com>

A Large Angry SCM <gitzilla@gmail.com> writes:

> There are better methods of setting environment variables than an 
> endless set of command options. Use the env command or you own 
> (personal) command wrapper instead.

Remember that, to the user, this isn't about setting environment
variables, It's about providing git parameters.

Currently, the only of doing this is by setting environment variables;
what I'm suggesting is an *alternative* to that.

The fact that the implementation of these flags would actually use
environment variables to propagate these parameters to subprocesses
doesn't necessary mean that it is the only sane way to specify it
originally.

Anyway, there are other options, such as

   $ git GIT_DIR=/foo/bar status

and today we already have

   $ env GIT_DIR=/foo/bar status

The advantage of these forms is of course that they don't limit the
parameters that can be set, so I could keep setting EDITOR if I want
to.  But if setting GIT_DIR is common enough it might make sense to
provide a short flag for that.

The summary of my ramblings are probably that I think the -d flag is a
good idea, but no way of specifying other parameters is needed.

-- 
David Kågedal