Re: [PATCH v2] CI: select CC based on CC_PACKAGE (again)

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Apr 21, 2022, 19:47 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqr15qgqw1.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <CAPUEspgrk3+FAo9Y6VWcYddh0o4xCkqmQ=GLap1XomcMmnFCuA@mail.gmail.com>

Carlo Arenas <carenas@gmail.com> writes:

Show 15 quoted lines

> On Thu, Apr 21, 2022 at 12:12 PM Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> wrote:
>>
>> Carlo Arenas <carenas@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>> >> -       CC="${CC:-gcc}"
>> >> +       CC="${CC_PACKAGE:-${CC:-gcc}}"
>> > ...
> Wondering if something more explicit might be easier to understand anyway like :
>
>   if test -n "$CC_PACKAGE"
>   then
>      CC="$CC_PACKAGE"
>   fi
>
> Carlo

The parameter substitution is commonly used part of the shell language, and even if developers, when starting to work on parts of the system that are written in shell, are initially unfamiliar with such language constructs, nobody will stay a newbie forever.

To them, idioms like ${A:-${B:-C}} would quickly become as explicit as a long-form written as if/then/elif/fi. Surely it takes practice to be familiar with the idiom, but idioms help those who know them to be more efficient and effetive, so, no, I do not think it is a good idea to aim for "easier to understand by newbies".

Thanks.