# [PATCH] git-rebase -i: improve usage message 3 messages from 2009-10-29 to 2009-10-29. Participants: Brian Ewins, Junio C Hamano, Thomas Rast. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/21412 ## Brian Ewins, 2009-10-29 00:02 Subject: [PATCH] git-rebase -i: improve usage message Message-ID: <1256774549-8191-1-git-send-email-brian.ewins@gmail.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1256774549-8191-1-git-send-email-brian.ewins%40gmail.com ``` The usage message was confusing as it implied that interactive mode was optional but the default. Change the message to more appropriately report usage when the -i flag is supplied. In addition, use the same division into 3 command formats as the man page. Signed-off-by: Brian Ewins --- git-rebase--interactive.sh | 13 +++++++------ 1 files changed, 7 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) diff --git a/git-rebase--interactive.sh b/git-rebase--interactive.sh index a1879e3..b988c30 100755 --- a/git-rebase--interactive.sh +++ b/git-rebase--interactive.sh @@ -12,22 +12,23 @@ OPTIONS_KEEPDASHDASH= OPTIONS_SPEC="\ -git-rebase [-i] [options] [--] [] -git-rebase [-i] (--continue | --abort | --skip) +git rebase -i [options] [--onto ] [--] [] +git rebase -i [options] --onto --root [--] [] +git rebase (--continue | --abort | --skip) -- Available options are v,verbose display a diffstat of what changed upstream onto= rebase onto given branch instead of upstream p,preserve-merges try to recreate merges instead of ignoring them s,strategy= use the given merge strategy -m,merge always used (no-op) -i,interactive always used (no-op) +i,interactive interactively edit commits. Implies -m. +m,merge use merging strategies +no-verify override pre-rebase hook from stopping the operation +root rebase all reachable commmits up to the root(s) Actions: continue continue rebasing process abort abort rebasing process and restore original branch skip skip current patch and continue rebasing process -no-verify override pre-rebase hook from stopping the operation -root rebase all reachable commmits up to the root(s) " . git-sh-setup -- 1.6.5 ``` ## Junio C Hamano, 2009-10-29 06:24 Subject: Re: [PATCH] git-rebase -i: improve usage message Message-ID: <7vtyxiafa9.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/7vtyxiafa9.fsf%40alter.siamese.dyndns.org In-Reply-To: <1256774549-8191-1-git-send-email-brian.ewins@gmail.com> ``` Brian Ewins writes: > The usage message was confusing as it implied that interactive > mode was optional but the default. Change the message to more > appropriately report usage when the -i flag is supplied. > In addition, use the same division into 3 command formats as > the man page. I agree; if "git rebase--interactive -h" were asked, "-i is always used" might be a correct thing to say, but nobody will get the message that way. Instead, "git rebase --nonsense -i" and "git rebase -i --nonsense" will be the most common way for users to see the message (also "git rebase -i -h"). The OPTIONS_SPEC in rebase--interactive is for the interactive mode and for nothing else, so it may be a good idea to clearly say so at the beginning. The user experience perhaps should look like: $ git rebase -i -h Note: this help is only about the interactive mode; see 'git rebase -h' for help on non-interactive mode. usage: git rebase -i [] [--] [] or: git rebase -i (--continue|--abort|--skip) Available options are -v,--verbose verbose output --onto rebase onto given commit instead of -p,--preserve-merges try to recreate merges -i,--interactive (always in effect in interactive mode) -m,--merge (always in effect in interactive mode) Actions: --continue continue the interrupted rebase session ... By the way, I think the main "git rebase" help should be improved first for this improvement to make sense. * Its first line "usage" is too long; * It only mentions [-i] in the first line but does not hint that the detailed help on interactive mode is available with "rebase -i -h". The user experience perhaps should look like this: $ git rebase -h usage: git rebase [] (|--root) [] -i,--interactive go interactive (see 'git rebase -i -h') -v,--verbose verbose output ... Also see http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/129906/focus=130646 I agree with Peff that the first-line usage should just say in general and have a table of options and their descriptions. ``` ## Thomas Rast, 2009-10-29 09:40 Subject: Re: [PATCH] git-rebase -i: improve usage message Message-ID: <200910291040.30820.trast@student.ethz.ch> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/200910291040.30820.trast%40student.ethz.ch In-Reply-To: <7vtyxiafa9.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org> ``` Junio C Hamano wrote: > > The OPTIONS_SPEC in rebase--interactive is for the interactive mode and > for nothing else, so it may be a good idea to clearly say so at the > beginning. The user experience perhaps should look like: > > $ git rebase -i -h > Note: this help is only about the interactive mode; > see 'git rebase -h' for help on non-interactive mode. > > usage: git rebase -i [] [--] [] > or: git rebase -i (--continue|--abort|--skip) Nit-pick: the last line is not correct; the user does not have to specify -i for git-rebase to figure out that an interactive rebase is in progress. (I agree with the rest though.) -- Thomas Rast trast@{inf,student}.ethz.ch ```