# git diff-index ignores color config 9 messages from 2011-04-26 to 2011-04-28. Participants: Elias Persson, Junio C Hamano, Michael J Gruber, Jonathan Nieder. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/27191 ## Elias Persson, 2011-04-26 15:04 Subject: git diff-index ignores color config Message-ID: <1303830261.3387.21.camel@dhcp-141.kontor.deklomp.se> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1303830261.3387.21.camel%40dhcp-141.kontor.deklomp.se ``` Having color.ui (and/or color.diff) set to auto, doing git diff-index --check on a set with e.g. trailing whitespace does not produce colored output. If providing the option on the command line, e.g. git diff-index --check --color=auto output _is_ colored, so obviously not an issue with tty detection. Doesn't work when configured to 'true' either. Documentation indicates that the config option is considered (see under --no-color), so to me it seems like there's a bug here, somewhere. Most likely way of coming across this issue would be turning on the shipped pre-commit hook sample, at least that's how I found it. It ends (and does most of its work) with exec git diff-index --check --cached $against -- where $against is normally HEAD. git --version: 1.7.4.4 uname -srio: Linux 2.6.35.12-88.fc14.i686 i386 GNU/Linux // Delreich ``` ## Junio C Hamano, 2011-04-26 17:42 Subject: Re: git diff-index ignores color config Message-ID: <7voc3sewpg.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/7voc3sewpg.fsf%40alter.siamese.dyndns.org In-Reply-To: <1303830261.3387.21.camel@dhcp-141.kontor.deklomp.se> ``` Elias Persson writes: > Having color.ui (and/or color.diff) set to auto, doing > > git diff-index --check > > on a set with e.g. trailing whitespace does not produce colored > output. Isn't that very much on purpose? diff-{index,tree,files} plumbings should not be affected by UI related configuration variables. ``` ## Elias Persson, 2011-04-27 07:20 Subject: Re: git diff-index ignores color config Message-ID: <1303888846.10130.7.camel@dhcp-141.kontor.deklomp.se> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1303888846.10130.7.camel%40dhcp-141.kontor.deklomp.se In-Reply-To: <7voc3sewpg.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org> ``` On Tue, 2011-04-26 at 10:42 -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote: > Isn't that very much on purpose? diff-{index,tree,files} plumbings should > not be affected by UI related configuration variables. Documentation indicates that color is configurable for it though. I can't say if the issue is with the behavior or the documentation. I can say I find the pre-commit verifying hook to be a lot more useful when you can actually see the whitespace issues. ``` ## Michael J Gruber, 2011-04-27 07:38 Subject: [PATCH] config.txt,diff-options.txt: porcelain vs. plumbing for color.diff Message-ID: <24a6907cade7aedb51dc20ab5977603ca21e70bb.1303889849.git.git@drmicha.warpmail.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/24a6907cade7aedb51dc20ab5977603ca21e70bb.1303889849.git.git%40drmicha.warpmail.net In-Reply-To: <7voc3sewpg.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org> ``` Reading the diff-family and config man pages one may think that the color.diff and color.ui settings apply to all diff commands. Make it clearer that they do not apply to the plumbing variants diff-{files,index,tree}. Signed-off-by: Michael J Gruber --- Documentation/config.txt | 4 ++-- Documentation/diff-options.txt | 15 +++++++++++---- 2 files changed, 13 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt index 750c86d..1e22832 100644 --- a/Documentation/config.txt +++ b/Documentation/config.txt @@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ second is the background. The position of the attribute, if any, doesn't matter. color.diff:: - When set to `always`, always use colors in patch. + When set to `always`, always use colors in patch for porcelain commands. When false (or `never`), never. When set to `true` or `auto`, use colors only when the output is to the terminal. Defaults to false. @@ -796,7 +796,7 @@ color.status.:: color.branch.. color.ui:: - When set to `always`, always use colors in all git commands which + When set to `always`, always use colors in all porcelain commands which are capable of colored output. When false (or `never`), never. When set to `true` or `auto`, use colors only when the output is to the terminal. When more specific variables of color.* are set, they always diff --git a/Documentation/diff-options.txt b/Documentation/diff-options.txt index c93124b..c26e494 100644 --- a/Documentation/diff-options.txt +++ b/Documentation/diff-options.txt @@ -120,12 +120,19 @@ any of those replacements occurred. --color[=]:: Show colored diff. - The value must be always (the default), never, or auto. + The value must be `always` (the default for ``), `never`, or `auto`. + The default value is `never`. +ifdef::git-diff[] + It can be changed by the `color.ui` and `color.diff` + configuration settings. +endif::git-diff[] --no-color:: - Turn off colored diff, even when the configuration file - gives the default to color output. - Same as `--color=never`. + Turn off colored diff. +ifdef::git-diff[] + This can be used to override configuration settings. +endif::git-diff[] + It is the same as `--color=never`. --word-diff[=]:: Show a word diff, using the to delimit changed words. -- 1.7.5.270.gafca7 ``` ## Jonathan Nieder, 2011-04-27 09:03 Subject: Re: [PATCH] config.txt,diff-options.txt: porcelain vs. plumbing for color.diff Message-ID: <20110427090323.GA14849@elie> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20110427090323.GA14849%40elie In-Reply-To: <24a6907cade7aedb51dc20ab5977603ca21e70bb.1303889849.git.git@drmicha.warpmail.net> ``` Michael J Gruber wrote: > Reading the diff-family and config man pages one may think that the > color.diff and color.ui settings apply to all diff commands. Make it > clearer that they do not apply to the plumbing variants > diff-{files,index,tree}. Sounds like a good idea. Quick reactions: > --- a/Documentation/config.txt > +++ b/Documentation/config.txt > @@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ second is the background. The position of the attribute, if any, > doesn't matter. > > color.diff:: > - When set to `always`, always use colors in patch. > + When set to `always`, always use colors in patch for porcelain commands. > When false (or `never`), never. When set to `true` or `auto`, use > colors only when the output is to the terminal. Defaults to false. I am not sure I like promising that all porcelain commands will use color; for example, "git commit -v" does not (though "commit -v --dry-run" does). Maybe: Whether to use ANSI escape sequences to add color to patches. If this is set to `always`, linkgit:git-diff[1], linkgit:git-log[1], and linkgit:git-show[1] will use color for all patches. If it is set to `true` or `auto`, those commands will only use color when output is to the terminal. Defaults to false. + This does not affect linkgit:git-format-patch[1] or the 'git-diff-{asterisk}' plumbing commands. Can be overridden on the command line with the `--color[=]` option. > @@ -796,7 +796,7 @@ color.status.:: > color.branch.. > > color.ui:: > - When set to `always`, always use colors in all git commands which > + When set to `always`, always use colors in all porcelain commands which > are capable of colored output. When false (or `never`), never. When Nitpick: the grammatical subject of the dependent clause ("when set to always") and the rest of the sentence ("always use colors") differ, so the sentence sounds awkward. Not your fault, but while we're here, it might be nice to change that. I think the intent is something like This variable determines the default for color.branch, color.diff, color.grep, color.interactive, color.showbranch, and color.status, and its scope will expand as other commands learn configuration to set a default for the --color option. Set it to "always" if you want all output not intended for machine consumption to use color, to "true" or "auto" if you want such output to use color when written to the terminal, or to "false" or "never" if you prefer git commands not to use color unless enabled explicitly with some other configuration or the --color option. In other words, it's closer to "all appropriate commands" than "all porcelain". format-patch is porcelain. Not sure what a concise way to say that is, though. Thanks, and hope that helps. Jonathan ``` ## Junio C Hamano, 2011-04-27 16:39 Subject: Re: [PATCH] config.txt,diff-options.txt: porcelain vs. plumbing for color.diff Message-ID: <7v7hafabsj.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/7v7hafabsj.fsf%40alter.siamese.dyndns.org In-Reply-To: <20110427090323.GA14849@elie> ``` Jonathan Nieder writes: > Michael J Gruber wrote: > >> Reading the diff-family and config man pages one may think that the >> color.diff and color.ui settings apply to all diff commands. Make it >> clearer that they do not apply to the plumbing variants >> diff-{files,index,tree}. > > Sounds like a good idea. Quick reactions: > ... > Thanks, and hope that helps. Your text reads better at least to me. ``` ## Junio C Hamano, 2011-04-27 18:30 Subject: Re: [PATCH] config.txt,diff-options.txt: porcelain vs. plumbing for color.diff Message-ID: <7vliyv7djb.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/7vliyv7djb.fsf%40alter.siamese.dyndns.org In-Reply-To: <7v7hafabsj.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org> ``` Junio C Hamano writes: > Jonathan Nieder writes: > >> Michael J Gruber wrote: >> >>> Reading the diff-family and config man pages one may think that the >>> color.diff and color.ui settings apply to all diff commands. Make it >>> clearer that they do not apply to the plumbing variants >>> diff-{files,index,tree}. >> >> Sounds like a good idea. Quick reactions: >> ... >> Thanks, and hope that helps. > > Your text reads better at least to me. I'll queue the following. -- >8 -- From: Michael J Gruber Subject: [PATCH] config.txt,diff-options.txt: porcelain vs. plumbing for color.diff Reading the diff-family and config man pages one may think that the color.diff and color.ui settings apply to all diff commands. Make it clearer that they do not apply to the plumbing variants diff-{files,index,tree}. Signed-off-by: Michael J Gruber Helped-by: Jonathan Nieder Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano --- Documentation/config.txt | 27 +++++++++++++++++++-------- Documentation/diff-options.txt | 15 +++++++++++---- 2 files changed, 30 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt index 750c86d..3967b1a 100644 --- a/Documentation/config.txt +++ b/Documentation/config.txt @@ -708,9 +708,16 @@ second is the background. The position of the attribute, if any, doesn't matter. color.diff:: - When set to `always`, always use colors in patch. - When false (or `never`), never. When set to `true` or `auto`, use - colors only when the output is to the terminal. Defaults to false. + Whether to use ANSI escape sequences to add color to patches. + If this is set to `always`, linkgit:git-diff[1], + linkgit:git-log[1], and linkgit:git-show[1] will use color + for all patches. If it is set to `true` or `auto`, those + commands will only use color when output is to the terminal. + Defaults to false. ++ +This does not affect linkgit:git-format-patch[1] nor the +'git-diff-{asterisk}' plumbing commands. Can be overridden on the +command line with the `--color[=]` option. color.diff.:: Use customized color for diff colorization. `` specifies @@ -796,11 +803,15 @@ color.status.:: color.branch.. color.ui:: - When set to `always`, always use colors in all git commands which - are capable of colored output. When false (or `never`), never. When - set to `true` or `auto`, use colors only when the output is to the - terminal. When more specific variables of color.* are set, they always - take precedence over this setting. Defaults to false. + This variable determines the default value for variables such + as `color.diff` and `color.grep` that control the use of color + per command family. Its scope will expand as more commands learn + configuration to set a default for the `--color` option. Set it + to `always` if you want all output not intended for machine + consumption to use color, to `true` or `auto` if you want such + output to use color when written to the terminal, or to `false` or + `never` if you prefer git commands not to use color unless enabled + explicitly with some other configuration or the `--color` option. commit.status:: A boolean to enable/disable inclusion of status information in the diff --git a/Documentation/diff-options.txt b/Documentation/diff-options.txt index c93124b..c26e494 100644 --- a/Documentation/diff-options.txt +++ b/Documentation/diff-options.txt @@ -120,12 +120,19 @@ any of those replacements occurred. --color[=]:: Show colored diff. - The value must be always (the default), never, or auto. + The value must be `always` (the default for ``), `never`, or `auto`. + The default value is `never`. +ifdef::git-diff[] + It can be changed by the `color.ui` and `color.diff` + configuration settings. +endif::git-diff[] --no-color:: - Turn off colored diff, even when the configuration file - gives the default to color output. - Same as `--color=never`. + Turn off colored diff. +ifdef::git-diff[] + This can be used to override configuration settings. +endif::git-diff[] + It is the same as `--color=never`. --word-diff[=]:: Show a word diff, using the to delimit changed words. -- 1.7.5.208.g75460 ``` ## Jonathan Nieder, 2011-04-27 22:12 Subject: Re: [PATCH] config.txt,diff-options.txt: porcelain vs. plumbing for color.diff Message-ID: <20110427221215.GC18596@elie> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20110427221215.GC18596%40elie In-Reply-To: <7vliyv7djb.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org> ``` Junio C Hamano wrote: > I'll queue the following. Thanks; looks good. ``` ## Michael J Gruber, 2011-04-28 07:47 Subject: Re: [PATCH] config.txt,diff-options.txt: porcelain vs. plumbing for color.diff Message-ID: <4DB91B95.2020308@drmicha.warpmail.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/4DB91B95.2020308%40drmicha.warpmail.net In-Reply-To: <20110427221215.GC18596@elie> ``` Jonathan Nieder venit, vidit, dixit 28.04.2011 00:12: > Junio C Hamano wrote: > >> I'll queue the following. > > Thanks; looks good. Yep, thanks both of you! Michael ```