Re: [PATCH] worktree: add shorthand '-d' for detach

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Jan 27, 2020, 20:31 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqq36c0bpzp.fsf@gitster-ct.c.googlers.com>
In-Reply-To: <CAPig+cS_H+FTcZkBz4dA94bAcxv0CZ8UG=P8jOGvD=HXzf8ODQ@mail.gmail.com>

Eric Sunshine <sunshine@sunshineco.com> writes:

Show 9 quoted lines

>> Here I would prefer to keep '--detach', because "detach" is a real
>> word with proper meaning, while 'd' is just an abbreviation.
>
> I fully agree with this assessment and was going to say the same.
> '-b' and '-B' are special in that they don't have corresponding long
> option names, thus they must be shown in short form, but long name
> '--detach' is much more informative in this context (and the reader
> can discover short '-d' easily enough without mentioning it here).
> So, I'd drop this change (and the other similar one).

Yup.

Even though I do not mind a short-hand '-d', because "worktree add" would be quite a rare event compared to the use of other Git subcommands, those who do not remember '--detach' after learning it would not have any better chance to remember to use the option, even if a shorter variant '-d' was available.

In other words, if "worktree add --detach" is underused and it is a problem that needs to be fixed, I do not think the reason why it is underused is *not* because "--detach" is too long to type or does not get completed when "git worktree add <TAB>" is typed. Isn't the real problem because people do not even *know* that the choice of starting a worktree without being on a particular branch exists?

A better documentation would help, but I do not think

    "git worktree add -d foo" is about as easy to type and remember as
    "git worktree add foo"

is addressing the right problem. s/-d/--detach/ may make it more clear what the option is about, in which case it would be a better way to promote the feature.