# [PATCH] documentation fix: git difftool uses diff tools, not merge tools.

3 messages from 2011-11-14 to 2011-11-21. Participants: Thomas Hochstein, Junio C Hamano, David Aguilar.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/28936

## Thomas Hochstein, 2011-11-14 22:55

Subject: [PATCH] documentation fix: git difftool uses diff tools, not merge tools.
Message-ID: <1321311352-8950-1-git-send-email-thh@inter.net>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1321311352-8950-1-git-send-email-thh%40inter.net

```
Let the documentation for -t list valid *diff* tools,
not valid *merge* tools.

Signed-off-by: Thomas Hochstein <thh@inter.net>
---
 Documentation/git-difftool.txt |    2 +-
 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/git-difftool.txt b/Documentation/git-difftool.txt
index a03515f..19d473c 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-difftool.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-difftool.txt
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ OPTIONS
 -t <tool>::
 --tool=<tool>::
 	Use the diff tool specified by <tool>.
-	Valid merge tools are:
+	Valid diff tools are:
 	araxis, bc3, diffuse, emerge, ecmerge, gvimdiff, kdiff3,
 	kompare, meld, opendiff, p4merge, tkdiff, vimdiff and xxdiff.
 +
-- 
1.7.2.5

```

## Junio C Hamano, 2011-11-15 00:20

Subject: Re: [PATCH] documentation fix: git difftool uses diff tools, not merge tools.
Message-ID: <7v62imi6c7.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/7v62imi6c7.fsf%40alter.siamese.dyndns.org
In-Reply-To: <1321311352-8950-1-git-send-email-thh@inter.net>

```
Thomas Hochstein <thh@inter.net> writes:

> Let the documentation for -t list valid *diff* tools,
> not valid *merge* tools.
>
> Signed-off-by: Thomas Hochstein <thh@inter.net>
> ---
>  Documentation/git-difftool.txt |    2 +-
>  1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/git-difftool.txt b/Documentation/git-difftool.txt
> index a03515f..19d473c 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-difftool.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/git-difftool.txt
> @@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ OPTIONS
>  -t <tool>::
>  --tool=<tool>::
>  	Use the diff tool specified by <tool>.
> -	Valid merge tools are:
> +	Valid diff tools are:
>  	araxis, bc3, diffuse, emerge, ecmerge, gvimdiff, kdiff3,
>  	kompare, meld, opendiff, p4merge, tkdiff, vimdiff and xxdiff.
>  +

The patch is obviously correct, and it is so trivial that there is no risk
of breaking anything. It would even be OK for 1.7.7.X maintenance series.

But in the longer term, I suspect that we would want to drop this
enumeration from the documentation, and instead give "--list-tools"
option or something to the command. That way, we only need to keep
the list of known tools in one place where it matters, namely, the
command that knows about them.

David, what do you think?

The same comment applies to "git mergetool", I would think.

```

## David Aguilar, 2011-11-21 12:25

Subject: Re: [PATCH] documentation fix: git difftool uses diff tools, not merge tools.
Message-ID: <CAJDDKr6vrWqZ_KcyDeGWbiy41ncRtgj9OgF9rSW+YxZZJBFK7Q@mail.gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAJDDKr6vrWqZ_KcyDeGWbiy41ncRtgj9OgF9rSW%2BYxZZJBFK7Q%40mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <7v62imi6c7.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>

```
On Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 4:20 PM, Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> wrote:
> Thomas Hochstein <thh@inter.net> writes:
>
>> Let the documentation for -t list valid *diff* tools,
>> not valid *merge* tools.
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Thomas Hochstein <thh@inter.net>
>> ---
>>  Documentation/git-difftool.txt |    2 +-
>>  1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/Documentation/git-difftool.txt b/Documentation/git-difftool.txt
>> index a03515f..19d473c 100644
>> --- a/Documentation/git-difftool.txt
>> +++ b/Documentation/git-difftool.txt
>> @@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ OPTIONS
>>  -t <tool>::
>>  --tool=<tool>::
>>       Use the diff tool specified by <tool>.
>> -     Valid merge tools are:
>> +     Valid diff tools are:
>>       araxis, bc3, diffuse, emerge, ecmerge, gvimdiff, kdiff3,
>>       kompare, meld, opendiff, p4merge, tkdiff, vimdiff and xxdiff.
>>  +
>
> The patch is obviously correct, and it is so trivial that there is no risk
> of breaking anything. It would even be OK for 1.7.7.X maintenance series.
>
> But in the longer term, I suspect that we would want to drop this
> enumeration from the documentation, and instead give "--list-tools"
> option or something to the command. That way, we only need to keep
> the list of known tools in one place where it matters, namely, the
> command that knows about them.
>
> David, what do you think?
>
> The same comment applies to "git mergetool", I would think.

Exactly my thoughts.
-- 
    David

```