Re: [PATCH] gitk: expand $config_file_tmp before reporting to user

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Sep 28, 2017, 04:47 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqzi9f1lb2.fsf@gitster.mtv.corp.google.com>
In-Reply-To: <xmqq4lrn30bz.fsf@gitster.mtv.corp.google.com>

Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> writes:

Show 17 quoted lines

> Max Kirillov <max@max630.net> writes:
>
>> Tilda-based path may confise some users. First, tilda is not known
>> for Window users, second, it may point to unexpected location
>> depending on various environment setup.
>>
>> Expand the path to "nativename", so that ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp
>> would be "C:\Users\user\.config\git\gitk-tmp", for example.
>> It should be less cryptic
>
> It might be less cryptic, but for those of us whose $HOME is a
> looooooong path, ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp is much easier to understand
> than the same path with ~/ expanded, which would push the part of
> the filename that most matters far to the right hand side of the
> dialog.
>
> I somehow find this change just robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Having said that, because a set-up might have HOME or XDG_CONFIG or other things misconfigured to point at a place where the end user may not be expecting, I tend to think that catering to Paul by showing the information closer to the bare metal is much more worthy thing to do than keeping Peter happy. Since this is an error path, accuracy trumps convenience.

So no objection from me (unless somebody else comes up with an alternative that would make both camps happy, that is).

Thanks.