Re: [PATCH 3/3] branch: add a --copy (-c) option to go with --move (-m)

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Jun 13, 2017, 17:30 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqfuf37q2q.fsf@gitster.mtv.corp.google.com>
In-Reply-To: <xmqq60fz95sb.fsf@gitster.mtv.corp.google.com>

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

Show 23 quoted lines

> Sahil Dua <sahildua2305@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> Add the ability to --copy a branch and its reflog and configuration,
>> this uses the same underlying machinery as the --move (-m) option
>> except the reflog and configuration is copied instead of being moved.
>>
>> This is useful for e.g. copying a topic branch to a new version,
>> e.g. work to work-2 after submitting the work topic to the list, while
>> preserving all the tracking info and other configuration that goes
>> with the branch, and unlike --move keeping the other already-submitted
>> branch around for reference.
>>
>> Like --move, when the source branch is the currently checked out
>> branch the HEAD is moved to the destination branch. In the case of
>> --move we don't really have a choice (other than remaining on a
>> detached HEAD), but it makes sense to do the same for --copy.
>
> I strongly disagree with this "it makes sense to do the same".  It
> would equally (if not more) make sense to keep the HEAD pointing at
> the same.
>
> Personally, I may use this feature if it didn't move HEAD, but I
> wouldn't if HEAD gets moved.  But that may be just me.

Ah, that came out to be stronger than I intended.

While I do prefer "the HEAD is not moved by this command---if you want to move to the newly created branch after copying, check it out yourself" a lot better than what the patch does, I do not think I'd care so strongly that I'd reject this patch series unless the behaviour is changed.

But I do react strongly to an unsubstantiated claim "it makes sense to do the same". I can buy "We anticipate that in 50% of the case users would find this branch switching annoying and in the other 50% of the case, users would find it useful; since we need to pick one, we just randomly decide to do the same as --move", though.