# git reset --merge documentation improvments 3 messages from 2011-11-23 to 2011-11-23. Participants: Philippe Vaucher, Vincent van Ravesteijn. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/29006 ## Philippe Vaucher, 2011-11-23 08:31 Subject: git reset --merge documentation improvments Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAGK7Mr59bN8rjhLHAK0Vq%3DbOBBHG%3DN02CgGe-np%3DOBdTyS%2BrsA%40mail.gmail.com ``` Hello, The current documentation for --merge is: "Resets the index [1] and updates the files in the working tree that are different between and HEAD, but keeps those which are different between the index [2] and working tree" I think this is confusing, because [1] is the *after-reset* index and [2] is the *before-reset* index. If you fail to realise this it looks like this "resets index (so index is empty) and then updates worktree but skip files staged from index" --> "but there's nothing staged, the index was reset!" I think a better sentence would be: "Updates the files in the working tree that are different between and HEAD, but keeps those which are different between the index and working tree, and finally resets the index." Or something along those lines. Philippe ``` ## Vincent van Ravesteijn, 2011-11-23 08:57 Subject: Re: git reset --merge documentation improvments Message-ID: <4ECCB565.9020706@lyx.org> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/4ECCB565.9020706%40lyx.org In-Reply-To: ``` Op 23-11-2011 9:31, Philippe Vaucher schreef: > Hello, > > The current documentation for --merge is: > > "Resets the index [1] and updates the files in the working tree that > are different between and HEAD, but keeps those which are > different between the index [2] and working tree" > > I think this is confusing, because [1] is the *after-reset* index and > [2] is the *before-reset* index. You mean that you read that the *after-reset* index is reset ? They both refer to the *before-reset* index. > If you fail to realise this it looks > like this "resets index (so index is empty) and then updates worktree > but skip files staged from index" --> "but there's nothing staged, the > index was reset!" The misunderstanding comes from the added "then". > > I think a better sentence would be: > > "Updates the files in the working tree that are different between > and HEAD, but keeps those which are different between the > index and working tree, and finally resets the index." There is nothing to update as long as the index is not reset. Vincent ``` ## Philippe Vaucher, 2011-11-23 11:39 Subject: Re: git reset --merge documentation improvments Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAGK7Mr4UGc3jx2AQpRK_sotWHU-ibmGz87jx4hi-%3D%3D8qY04QOg%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: <4ECCB565.9020706@lyx.org> ``` >> "Updates the files in the working tree that are different between >>  and HEAD, but keeps those which are different between the >> index and working tree, and finally resets the index." > > There is nothing to update as long as the index is not reset. Well then I simply don't understand what --merge does. Is it like --keep but instead of failing when a file-to-be-overwritten has changes it simply ignores the overwriting and continues? Philippe ```