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Re: Should "git log --decorate" indicate whether the HEAD is detached?

From
Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date
Feb 18, 2015, 17:07 UTC
Message-ID
<xmqq8ufv408l.fsf@gitster.dls.corp.google.com>
In-Reply-To
<54E46635.4060009@drmicha.warpmail.net>
Michael J Gruber <git@drmicha.warpmail.net> writes:
Show 5 quoted lines
> "git branch" will tell you your branches and which one is checked out
> (or HEAD); "git status" will tell you the latter.
>
> "git log" is about the DAG which has absolutely nothing to do with what
> you have currently checked out.

Yeah, that summarizes my reaction, too. More importantly, "log" is about showing commits and "--decorate" is a way to enrich the presentation of commits---it talks about commits in terms of refs; the command and the option is not about describing refs and their relationships.

I do not terribly mind showing the fact that HEAD points at a branch when --decorate talks about HEAD, partly because we will be showing both HEAD and the branch name _anyway_ in the output. But I am not sure if the extra bit of information is more helpful to the readers or being distracting.

Julien's "HEAD=master, other" vs "HEAD, master, other" may be subdued enough to be undistracting, I would guess. I do not think the distinction between "HEAD = master" and "HEAD -> master" would be useful, on the other hand. We already know that the names listed all refer to the same commit, which means that we do not have to say "HEAD is detached" explicitly as long as we have a way to say "HEAD points at this branch". If HEAD is listed and is not marked to point at another branch that is shown, by definition it is detached, no?

Previous: Michael J GruberNext: Michael J Gruber
Message 6 of 23 in “Should "git log --decorate" indicate whether the HEAD is detached?”
  1. Julien CretelFeb 16, 2015
  2. Junio C HamanoFeb 16, 2015
  3. Julien CretelFeb 16, 2015
  4. Michael J GruberFeb 18, 2015
  5. log: decorate detached HEAD differentlyMichael J Gruber, Feb 18, 2015
  6. Junio C HamanoFeb 18, 2015
  7. Michael J GruberFeb 18, 2015
  8. Junio C HamanoFeb 18, 2015
  9. Michael J GruberFeb 19, 2015
  10. Julien CretelFeb 19, 2015
  11. Junio C HamanoFeb 20, 2015
  12. log: decorate detached HEAD differentlyMichael J Gruber, Mar 6, 2015
  13. Michael J GruberMar 6, 2015
  14. Junio C HamanoMar 6, 2015
  15. Michael J GruberMar 9, 2015
  16. Junio C HamanoMar 10, 2015
  17. Michael J GruberMar 10, 2015
  18. 0/2 log decorations for HEADMichael J Gruber, Mar 10, 2015
  19. Junio C HamanoMar 10, 2015
  20. Michael J GruberMar 11, 2015
  21. Julien CretelMar 23, 2015
  22. 1/2 log-tree: properly reset colorsMichael J Gruber, Mar 10, 2015
  23. 2/2 log: decorate HEAD with branch nameMichael J Gruber, Mar 10, 2015

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