Re: [PATCH 1/2] config: document git config getter return value.

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Aug 3, 2018, 15:57 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqpnyzzbmd.fsf@gitster-ct.c.googlers.com>
In-Reply-To: <20180803130509.GB4671@sigill.intra.peff.net>

Jeff King <peff@peff.net> writes:

Show 8 quoted lines

> This is returning the value of git_config_from_file(), which is 0/-1. I
> think it should be left where it is in the original, and not part of
> this block of functions.
>
> Other than that, the patch seems sane to me (I think the 0/1 return
> value from these "get" functions is unnecessarily inconsistent with the
> rest of Git, but changing it would be a pain. Documenting it is at least
> a step forward).

I do not think changing it would be in the scope of this series.

It makes sense to document (1) that zero is success, non-zero is failure, to help those who are reading the current callers and adding new callers, and (2) that we are aware that the exact "non-zero" value chosen for these are not in line with the rest of the system. The latter can just be a "NEEDSWORK" comment.