# [PATCH] Allow 'git cmd -h' outside of repository 4 messages from 2008-08-28 to 2008-08-29. Participants: SZEDER Gábor, Johannes Schindelin, Nguyen Thai Ngoc Duy. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/15261 ## SZEDER Gábor, 2008-08-28 21:28 Subject: [PATCH] Allow 'git cmd -h' outside of repository Message-ID: <1219958917-22780-1-git-send-email-szeder@ira.uka.de> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1219958917-22780-1-git-send-email-szeder%40ira.uka.de ``` Printing usage strings of git commands should obviously not depend on the command being run inside a git repository. However, in case of a command requiring a repository, the command line options are parsed only after it is ensured that the command was started inside a repository, resulting in a 'fatal: Not a git repository' if 'git cmd -h' wasn't executed inside a repository. To get around this issue, we will check early for the presence of '-h' option, and skip ensuring that the command is run inside a repository. Signed-off-by: SZEDER Gábor --- git.c | 4 ++++ 1 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-) diff --git a/git.c b/git.c index 37b1d76..af53472 100644 --- a/git.c +++ b/git.c @@ -380,6 +380,10 @@ static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv) struct cmd_struct *p = commands+i; if (strcmp(p->cmd, cmd)) continue; + /* Don't require repository if only usage string is requested */ + if (argc > 1 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h")) { + p->option = 0; + } exit(run_command(p, argc, argv)); } } -- 1.6.0.1.133.g10dd.dirty ``` ## Johannes Schindelin, 2008-08-29 11:35 Subject: Re: [PATCH] Allow 'git cmd -h' outside of repository Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/alpine.DEB.1.00.0808291333010.24820%40pacific.mpi-cbg.de.mpi-cbg.de In-Reply-To: <1219958917-22780-1-git-send-email-szeder@ira.uka.de> ``` Hi, On Thu, 28 Aug 2008, SZEDER Gábor wrote: > Printing usage strings of git commands should obviously not depend on > the command being run inside a git repository. However, in case of a > command requiring a repository, the command line options are parsed only > after it is ensured that the command was started inside a repository, > resulting in a 'fatal: Not a git repository' if 'git cmd -h' wasn't > executed inside a repository. > > To get around this issue, we will check early for the presence of '-h' > option, and skip ensuring that the command is run inside a repository. You miss the fact that "git grep -h" does not mean "show usage". Oh, and "git ls-remote -h" neither. Three times's a charm: "git show-ref -h" does not show the help either. I am also not quite certain if we should not just tout "git help " as the official way to request help. Ciao, Dscho ``` ## Nguyen Thai Ngoc Duy, 2008-08-29 11:44 Subject: Re: [PATCH] Allow 'git cmd -h' outside of repository Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/fcaeb9bf0808290444n579590a3ob01f7b4178e7a210%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: ``` On 8/29/08, Johannes Schindelin wrote: > Hi, > > > On Thu, 28 Aug 2008, SZEDER Gábor wrote: > > > Printing usage strings of git commands should obviously not depend on > > the command being run inside a git repository. However, in case of a > > command requiring a repository, the command line options are parsed only > > after it is ensured that the command was started inside a repository, > > resulting in a 'fatal: Not a git repository' if 'git cmd -h' wasn't > > executed inside a repository. > > > > To get around this issue, we will check early for the presence of '-h' > > option, and skip ensuring that the command is run inside a repository. > > > You miss the fact that "git grep -h" does not mean "show usage". Oh, and > "git ls-remote -h" neither. Three times's a charm: "git show-ref -h" does > not show the help either. > > I am also not quite certain if we should not just tout "git help " as > the official way to request help. No we should not (at least to me), usage strings are shorter and don't require man. As for allowing "git cmd -h" outside repository, I think Jeff's idea of refactoring setup procedure, setting up if possible but not barfing, would solve it. -- Duy ``` ## SZEDER Gábor, 2008-08-29 11:52 Subject: Re: [PATCH] Allow 'git cmd -h' outside of repository Message-ID: <20080829115255.GD8000@neumann> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20080829115255.GD8000%40neumann In-Reply-To: ``` On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 01:35:02PM +0200, Johannes Schindelin wrote: > You miss the fact that "git grep -h" does not mean "show usage". Oh, and > "git ls-remote -h" neither. Three times's a charm: "git show-ref -h" does > not show the help either. you are right with grep and show-ref. However, ls-remote does not require a repository, so it would not be affected by this patch. > I am also not quite certain if we should not just tout "git help " as > the official way to request help. Well, I would prefer to keep the short usage. But anyway, having this inconsistency with the -h option across git commands is bad. Regards, Gábor ```