Re: git log --since to not stop after first old commit?

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Apr 8, 2022, 02:30 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqv8vkpara.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <Yk8Gvf/fjVca9hDB@vmiklos.hu>

Miklos Vajna <vmiklos@vmiklos.hu> writes:

Show 11 quoted lines

> On Fri, Apr 01, 2022 at 10:51:34AM -0700, Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> wrote:
>> We could add a --since-as-filter= option or something, but then the
>> user needs to be careful when to stop (and digging down to the root
>> of the history, i.e. "never stop", may be an acceptable answer to
>> some projects).
>
> I sent a patch to add such an option (which picks the "never stop"
> behavior) on 1st, did you see that?
>
> If the idea is OK in principle, but the patch needs tweaking, please let
> me know.

As a single-shot change, "--since-as-filter" is certainly an easy to explain approach of least resistance.

But when viewed from a higher level as a general design problem, I am unsure if it is a good direction to go in.

Giving "--since" the "as-filter" variant sets a precedent, and closes the door for a better UI that we can extend more generally without having to add "--X-as-filter" for each and every conceivable "--X" that is a traversal stopper into a filtering kind.