Re: [PATCH 2/2] format-patch: move range/inter diff at the end of a single patch output

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: May 28, 2024, 16:50 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqv82x6fto.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <ZlXbxzFOJ8gVv7r5@tanuki>

Patrick Steinhardt <ps@pks.im> writes:

> Yeah, that's definitely better. Whether it's preferable over having it
> after the signature separator I don't know. I personally liked that
> version better, but can totally see why others may not like it.

I do not think anybody posted a version that writes inter/range diff ater the signature mark.

> Hm. By now I've gotten a bit indifferent, to be honest. I'm not a 100%
> sure whether it's an improvement or not, but I don't have a strong
> opinion either way.

I am not sure what two you are comparing. The current version with inter/range diff that is before the diffstat and the proposed one that places inter/range diff after the main patch? Between them, I do have a strong preference.

Or placing the inter/range diff after the main patch, before or after the signature mark? As a reader of such a patch, I do not have strong preference myself, either, but the signature mark is a convention, established and honored for more than a few decades, to say "no interesting contents come after this line". I do not think of a strong reason to go against that convention.

We certainly could use the "---" after the main patch before we add the inter/range diff. I had such a version but its output looked rather ugly. Because the inter/range diff output are designed to be very distinct from the usual patch, I'd say something as innocuous as an extra blank line would be a good choice.

Thanks.