Re: [PATCH 1/2] test for '!' handling in rev-parse's named commits

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Jun 3, 2015, 23:12 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqq7frkwfmw.fsf@gitster.dls.corp.google.com>
In-Reply-To: <xmqqbngwwjbd.fsf@gitster.dls.corp.google.com>

Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> writes:

Show 17 quoted lines

> The anticipation is to use another feature introducer after "/!" to
> enhance the matching, so that we can keep enhancing the syntax.
>
> cf. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/40460/focus=40477
>
> Using "/!Message" to match commits that do not match Message
> directly goes against that extensivility design.
>
> We need to always remind ourselves that our latest shiny new toy
> will not be the final new feature.  There always will be need to add
> yet another new thing, and we need to keep the door open for them.
>
> Perhaps
>
> 	/!-string	-> find commit without "string"
>
> or something?

Of course, as I do not think it is something people would do regularly to look for a non-match, I do not necessarily think we need a short-hand "/!-string". Perhaps following the long-hand syntax suggested in that old article, it may be sensible to start with something more descriptive like

	/!(negative)string

to look for a commit that does not say "string", without the short-hand form. Only after we see that people find the feature useful and find the need to use it frequently (if it ever happens, that is), we can introduce "/!-string" as a short-hand form as a follow-up patch.

Thanks.