From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2025 13:54:28 GMT
Subject: Re: [PATCH] status: add --json output format to git status
Message-ID: <xmqqikj39oq3.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <d62a30f6-af30-489b-ab55-4c01ed3f60c9@gmail.com>

Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com> writes:

> On 30/07/2025 15:58, Junio C Hamano wrote:
>> "Tach via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com> writes:
>> 
>>> This provides a robust alternative to parsing traditional output
>>> formats, making it easier to build reliable tools and automation
>>> around Git status information.
>> The writer is obviously biased ;-) but I find this a bit hand-wavy
>> and unconvincing.
>
> I agree this isn't a very convincing reason. To me a more convincing
> reason is that virtually every scripting language comes with a way to
> parse json and base64 so if we emit json with path and ref names
> encoded as base64 there is no need for script authors to write a
> parser to parse our porcelain output. To me the fact that we have to
> encode names using base64 is a sign that json is not particularly well
> suited to the task but it is widely supported format.

Very well put.  Thanks.