Re: [PATCH v3] doc: clarify --follow and log.follow for git log

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: May 11, 2026, 00:13 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqv7cux0q7.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <CAJ-ks9mPzCr3obAw5cE071GNjzy_ZLzF4mQdnUbQY5H4WPw3sA@mail.gmail.com>

Tamir Duberstein <tamird@gmail.com> writes:

Show 5 quoted lines

> I observed this "undefined" behavior, which is why I started working
> on this patch. I think it is not reasonable to deal with undefined
> behavior by pretending it doesn't exist. The documentation should
> acknowledge and explain what happens when this option is used for all
> ways that it can be used.

No, you are misguided.

Undefined behaviour can change without notice, and users should be strongly discouraged from using it. Describing what the current implementation happens to do moves us exactly in the opposite direction.

`--follow` is a checkbox feature. You can use it "only with a single filename on a linear history" or all bets are off otherwise.

That is what we should describe if we want to be honest.