Re: [bug?] git diff --cached in a non-git directory

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Sep 9, 2024, 18:40 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqy140pt67.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <05b501db02ce$3bd49e30$b37dda90$@nexbridge.com>

<rsbecker@nexbridge.com> writes:

Show 5 quoted lines

>>error: unknown option `cached'
>>usage: git diff --no-index [<options>] <path> <path> [...]
> ...
> Because you are not in a git repository clone, the --cached option has no
> meaning.

Yes. "git diff" unfortunately has a mode where a limited subset of its features is available and that is called the "--no-index" mode.

Because the command is capable of working outside a repository, "You are not in a repository" is a not a good error message in this situation, either. It is not that you stepped outside a repository that is your error. It is not that you used "--cached" that is your error, either. You used "--cached" outside a repository, that is where your error is.

A patch to improve the error messages in such a situation is certainly welcome.

Thanks.