# [RFC] Questions for "Git User's Survey 2010" - features used, features wanted

6 messages from 2010-08-15 to 2010-08-16. Participants: Jakub Narebski, Jonathan Nieder, Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Junio C Hamano, Matthieu Moy.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/24750

## Jakub Narebski, 2010-08-15 21:57

Subject: [RFC] Questions for "Git User's Survey 2010" - features used, features wanted
Message-ID: <201008152357.29889.jnareb@gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/201008152357.29889.jnareb%40gmail.com

```
In the upcoming "Git User's Survey 2010" (tentatively planned to start 
on 1 September 2010) there are two questions about Git features: one 
about features one use, and one about features one would like to see in 
Git.

Below there is excerpt of "Git User's Survey 2010" draft with those 
questions.  Do you have any comments (any features to add, or any 
features to remove in proposed answers in multi-choice) about them?

TIA


-----------

15. Which of the following features do you use?

(multiple choice, with other)

 + git bundle (off-line transport)
 + "smart" HTTP support
 + eol conversion (crlf)
 + custom diff/merge driver
 + textconv
 + gitattributes (other than above)
 + submodules (subprojects)
 + subtree merge (optionally git-subtree)
 + partial (sparse) checkout
 + assume-unchanged bit
 + separate worktree / core.worktree
 + multiple worktrees (git-new-worktree)
 + alternates mechanism (sharing object database)
 + stash (optionally "git stash --keep-index")
 + shallow clone (e.g. "git clone --depth=<n>")
 + detaching HEAD (e.g. "git checkout HEAD^0")
 + interactive rebase (small scale history editing)
 + interactive commit / per-hunk comitting / partial commit
 + commit message templates
 + git-filter-branch or equivalent (large history rewriting)
 + bisect (optionally "git bisect run <script>")
 + committing with dirty tree (keeping some changes uncommitted)
 + non-default hooks (from contrib/hooks/ or other)
 + shell completion of commands
 + git-aware shell prompt
 + git aliases, shell aliases for git, or own git scripts
 + one-way interaction with other SCMs (from SCM to git)
 + two-way interaction with other SCMs (git as fat client)
 + git cvsserver
 + git notes

 + Other, please specify


16. Which of the following features would you like to see implemented
    in git?

(multiple choice)

 + better support for big files (large media)
 + resumable clone/fetch (and other remote operations)
 + GitTorrent Protocol, or git-mirror
 + lazy clone / on-demand fetching of object
 + subtree clone
 + support for tracking empty directories
 + environmental variables in config, expanding ~ and ~user
 + better undo/abort/continue, and for more commands
 + '-n' like option for each command, which describes what would happen
 + warn before/when rewriting published history
 + side-by-side diffs and/or color-words diff in gitweb
 + admin and/or write features in gitweb
 + graphical history view in gitweb
 + GUI for rebase in git-gui
 + GUI for creating repository in git-gui
 + graphical diff/merge tool integrated with git-gui
 + syntax highlighting in git-gui
 + filename encoding (in repository vs in filesystem)
 + git push --create
 + localization of command-line messages (i18n)
 + wholesame directory rename detection
 + union checkouts (some files from one branch, some from other)
 + advisory locking / "this file is being edited"
 + "commands issued" (or "command equivalents") in git-gui / gitk
 + built-in gitjour/bananajour support
 + better support for submodules

 + other (describe below)


17. Describe what features would you like to have in Git, 
    if it is not on the list above?

(free form, essay length)

-- 
Jakub Narebski
Poland

```

## Jonathan Nieder, 2010-08-15 22:13

Subject: Re: [RFC] Questions for "Git User's Survey 2010" - features used, features wanted
Message-ID: <20100815221327.GB2666@burratino>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20100815221327.GB2666%40burratino
In-Reply-To: <201008152357.29889.jnareb@gmail.com>

```
Jakub Narebski wrote:

> 15. Which of the following features do you use?
> 
> (multiple choice, with other)

Very nice list!  “other” seems odd --- what would the expected
response look like?

> 16. Which of the following features would you like to see implemented
>     in git?
[...]
>  + environmental variables in config, expanding ~ and ~user

I think we have ~ and ~user now.

> 17. Describe what features would you like to have in Git, 
>     if it is not on the list above?
> 
> (free form, essay length)

Nice.

```

## Jakub Narebski, 2010-08-15 22:51

Subject: Re: [RFC] Questions for "Git User's Survey 2010" - features used, features wanted
Message-ID: <201008160051.23283.jnareb@gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/201008160051.23283.jnareb%40gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <20100815221327.GB2666@burratino>

```
On Mon, 16 Aug 2010, Jonathan Nieder wrote:
> Jakub Narebski wrote:
> 
> > 15. Which of the following features do you use?
> > 
> > (multiple choice, with other)
> 
> Very nice list!  “other” seems odd --- what would the expected
> response look like?

As you can see in https://www.survs.com/survey/T9FQCAWN7A (test channel,
might be closed when editing survey), this means that the last option
is "other (please specify)" with text field where you can write what
feature not included on the list you are using.

> > 16. Which of the following features would you like to see implemented
> >     in git?
> [...]
> >  + environmental variables in config, expanding ~ and ~user
> 
> I think we have ~ and ~user now.

Thanks, will fix.

-- 
Jakub Narebski
Poland

```

## Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, 2010-08-15 23:33

Subject: Re: [RFC] Questions for "Git User's Survey 2010" - features used, features wanted
Message-ID: <AANLkTinmcJdbOdoDm0hdGihuPMAQORwS-Fp-TAwRtQFf@mail.gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/AANLkTinmcJdbOdoDm0hdGihuPMAQORwS-Fp-TAwRtQFf%40mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <201008152357.29889.jnareb@gmail.com>

```
2010/8/15 Jakub Narebski <jnareb@gmail.com>:
> Below there is excerpt of "Git User's Survey 2010" draft with those
> questions.  Do you have any comments (any features to add, or any
> features to remove in proposed answers in multi-choice) about them?

Consider adding "Note that you may skip questions as you like." in
<b>, and maybe <blink> and <marquee> for lazy people whose first
reaction is "wow, that's a *long* survey" :)

```

## Junio C Hamano, 2010-08-16 01:54

Subject: Re: [RFC] Questions for "Git User's Survey 2010" - features used, features wanted
Message-ID: <7v62zbfhjs.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/7v62zbfhjs.fsf%40alter.siamese.dyndns.org
In-Reply-To: <201008152357.29889.jnareb@gmail.com>

```
Jakub Narebski <jnareb@gmail.com> writes:

>  + environmental variables in config, expanding ~ and ~user

Micronit.  They are "environment variable", never "environmental".

```

## Matthieu Moy, 2010-08-16 06:51

Subject: Re: [RFC] Questions for "Git User's Survey 2010" - features used, features wanted
Message-ID: <vpqy6c7uk1j.fsf@bauges.imag.fr>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/vpqy6c7uk1j.fsf%40bauges.imag.fr
In-Reply-To: <201008160051.23283.jnareb@gmail.com>

```
Jakub Narebski <jnareb@gmail.com> writes:

>> > 16. Which of the following features would you like to see implemented
>> >     in git?
>> [...]
>> >  + environmental variables in config, expanding ~ and ~user
>> 
>> I think we have ~ and ~user now.
>
> Thanks, will fix.

To be more precise, Git knows how to expand ~ and ~user (that's
git_config_pathname() in C, and "git config --path" from the
command-line), and does it for some configuration variables
(core.excludesfile for example).

-- 
Matthieu Moy
http://www-verimag.imag.fr/~moy/

```