From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2020 19:54:54 GMT
Subject: Re: [PATCH v5 20/20] rebase: rename the two primary rebase backends
Message-ID: <xmqq4kutfiwh.fsf@gitster.c.googlers.com>
In-Reply-To: <20200312184621.GD120942@google.com>

Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com> writes:

> Sorry for the lack of clarity.  I mean allowing
>
> 	[rebase]
> 		backend = am
> 		backend = apply
> 		backend = futuristic
>
> with behavior
>
> - on "git" that understands am but not apply or futuristic, use the am
>   backend
> - on "git" that understands apply but not am or futuristic, use the
>   apply backend
> - on "git" that understands apply and futuristic, use the futuristic
>   backend
>
> That way, a single config file is usable on all three versions of Git.

IOW, make rebase.backend a multi-valued one and use it when one and
only one value is a recognised one?  What would an error message say
when none is recognised, and when would that be issued?

I like the general direction it takes, but I think it would be
simpler to (1) die when we see what we do not recognise and (2)
teach the latest one that "am" is a synonym for "apply", without
even advertising "am".