# git-diff(1) appears to contradict itself

3 messages from 2013-02-12 to 2013-02-12. Participants: Reuben Thomas, Junio C Hamano.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/32883

## Reuben Thomas, 2013-02-12 02:49

Subject: git-diff(1) appears to contradict itself
Message-ID: <CAOnWdojOT61XOY6JxL-3sR4W8N0katShsSLsOsuJ0-PuM9Vemg@mail.gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAOnWdojOT61XOY6JxL-3sR4W8N0katShsSLsOsuJ0-PuM9Vemg%40mail.gmail.com

```
Under the --color=<when> option, it says:

Show colored diff. The value must be always (the default for <when>),
never, or auto. The default value is never.

That seems to imply that the default is both always and never. If I'm
right, I suggest removing the parenthesis, and putting the correct
default value at the end of the sentence. If I'm wrong, I suggest
clarification!

--
http://rrt.sc3d.org

```

## Junio C Hamano, 2013-02-12 02:54

Subject: Re: git-diff(1) appears to contradict itself
Message-ID: <7v1ucmjl6x.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/7v1ucmjl6x.fsf%40alter.siamese.dyndns.org
In-Reply-To: <CAOnWdojOT61XOY6JxL-3sR4W8N0katShsSLsOsuJ0-PuM9Vemg@mail.gmail.com>

```
Reuben Thomas <rrt@sc3d.org> writes:

> Under the --color=<when> option, it says:
>
> Show colored diff. The value must be always (the default for <when>),
> never, or auto. The default value is never.

I think it wants to say this:

    You can say "diff --color" without saying "when".  That is the
    same as saying "diff --color=always".

    If you do not say "--color" at all, that is exactly the same as
    saying "diff --color=never".

Patches welcome.

```

## Reuben Thomas, 2013-02-12 03:09

Subject: Re: git-diff(1) appears to contradict itself
Message-ID: <CAOnWdohn-NhTqOzdNbqmUPkJz2+TyikPbnxnVD0rC7Rfnm-o5w@mail.gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAOnWdohn-NhTqOzdNbqmUPkJz2%2BTyikPbnxnVD0rC7Rfnm-o5w%40mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <7v1ucmjl6x.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>

```
On 12 February 2013 02:54, Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> wrote:
> Reuben Thomas <rrt@sc3d.org> writes:
>
>> Under the --color=<when> option, it says:
>>
>> Show colored diff. The value must be always (the default for <when>),
>> never, or auto. The default value is never.
>
> I think it wants to say this:
>
>     You can say "diff --color" without saying "when".  That is the
>     same as saying "diff --color=always".
>
>     If you do not say "--color" at all, that is exactly the same as
>     saying "diff --color=never".
>
> Patches welcome.

Thanks for the explanation. Something like this, then:

diff --git a/Documentation/diff-options.txt b/Documentation/diff-options.txt
index 7a87473..9a02992 100644
--- a/Documentation/diff-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/diff-options.txt
@@ -174,9 +174,9 @@ any of those replacements occurred.
     `diff.submodule` configuration variable.

 --color[=<when>]::
-    Show colored diff.
-    The value must be `always` (the default for `<when>`), `never`, or `auto`.
-    The default value is `never`.
+    Show colored diff (off by default).
+    The value must be `always`, `never`, or `auto`.
+    `--color` is the same as `--color=always`.
 ifdef::git-diff[]
     It can be changed by the `color.ui` and `color.diff`
     configuration settings.

? I guess other commands that work the same, such as git-grep, could
do with a similar patch (indeed, I based my wording on that in the
git-grep page, but that has different problems.) Or you could use the
same fragment twice if that is possible in your system?

--
http://rrt.sc3d.org

```