# [PATCH] RelNotes/1.8.5: direct script writers to "git status --porcelain"

5 messages from 2013-09-26 to 2013-09-28. Participants: Matthieu Moy, Jakub Narebski, Keshav Kini, Jonathan Nieder.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/35027

## Matthieu Moy, 2013-09-26 13:23

Subject: [PATCH] RelNotes/1.8.5: direct script writers to "git status --porcelain"
Message-ID: <1380201815-14140-1-git-send-email-Matthieu.Moy@imag.fr>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1380201815-14140-1-git-send-email-Matthieu.Moy%40imag.fr

```
Signed-off-by: Matthieu Moy <Matthieu.Moy@imag.fr>
---

Not terribly important, but the old item alone may sound like "we
broke your script purposely, good luck with the new version" to a
script writer.

 Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.txt | 3 +++
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.txt b/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.txt
index ac5c3fa..f100a0f 100644
--- a/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.txt
+++ b/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.txt
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ UI, Workflows & Features
 
  * "git status" now omits the prefix to make its output a comment in a
    commit log editor, which is not necessary for human consumption.
+   Scripts that parse the output of "git status" are advised to use
+   "git status --porcelain", which is both easier to parse and stable,
+   instead.
 
  * Make "foo^{tag}" to peel a tag to itself, i.e. no-op., and fail if
    "foo" is not a tag.  "git rev-parse --verify v1.0^{tag}" would be
-- 
1.8.4.474.g128a96c

```

## Jakub Narebski, 2013-09-26 18:19

Subject: Re: [PATCH] RelNotes/1.8.5: direct script writers to "git status --porcelain"
Message-ID: <loom.20130926T201754-563@post.gmane.org>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/loom.20130926T201754-563%40post.gmane.org
In-Reply-To: <1380201815-14140-1-git-send-email-Matthieu.Moy@imag.fr>

```
Matthieu Moy <Matthieu.Moy <at> imag.fr> writes:


>   * "git status" now omits the prefix to make its output a comment in a
>     commit log editor, which is not necessary for human consumption.
> +   Scripts that parse the output of "git status" are advised to use
> +   "git status --porcelain", which is both easier to parse and stable,
> +   instead.

Good addition.

Perhaps "to use instead ..." would be easier to understand than
proposed "to use ..., instead." (with "..." being one line long).

-- 
Jakub Narebski.

```

## Matthieu Moy, 2013-09-26 18:33

Subject: [PATCH v2] RelNotes/1.8.5: direct script writers to "git status --porcelain"
Message-ID: <1380220420-27064-1-git-send-email-Matthieu.Moy@imag.fr>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1380220420-27064-1-git-send-email-Matthieu.Moy%40imag.fr
In-Reply-To: <loom.20130926T201754-563@post.gmane.org>

```
Signed-off-by: Matthieu Moy <Matthieu.Moy@imag.fr>
---
Jakub Narebski <jnareb@gmail.com> writes:

> Perhaps "to use instead ..." would be easier to understand than
> proposed "to use ..., instead." (with "..." being one line long).

Actually, I had the version below staged, but forgot to "commit
--amend" before sending. Should be clear enough.

 Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.txt | 3 +++
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.txt b/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.txt
index ac5c3fa..e295266 100644
--- a/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.txt
+++ b/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.5.txt
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ UI, Workflows & Features
 
  * "git status" now omits the prefix to make its output a comment in a
    commit log editor, which is not necessary for human consumption.
+   Scripts that parse the output of "git status" are advised to use
+   "git status --porcelain" instead. Its format is both easier to
+   parse and stable.
 
  * Make "foo^{tag}" to peel a tag to itself, i.e. no-op., and fail if
    "foo" is not a tag.  "git rev-parse --verify v1.0^{tag}" would be
-- 
1.8.4.474.g128a96c

```

## Keshav Kini, 2013-09-26 20:45

Subject: Re: [PATCH] RelNotes/1.8.5: direct script writers to "git status --porcelain"
Message-ID: <87y56jl3bz.fsf@gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/87y56jl3bz.fsf%40gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <loom.20130926T201754-563@post.gmane.org>

```
Jakub Narebski <jnareb@gmail.com> writes:
> Matthieu Moy <Matthieu.Moy <at> imag.fr> writes:
>>   * "git status" now omits the prefix to make its output a comment in a
>>     commit log editor, which is not necessary for human consumption.
>> +   Scripts that parse the output of "git status" are advised to use
>> +   "git status --porcelain", which is both easier to parse and stable,
>> +   instead.
>
> Good addition.
>
> Perhaps "to use instead ..." would be easier to understand than
> proposed "to use ..., instead." (with "..." being one line long).

FWIW, I find "to use instead ___" slightly stilted. I'd suggest "to
instead use", but rewording it to the following is much better, IMHO:
'... are advised to use "git status --porcelain" instead, as it is both
stable and easier to parse.'

-Keshav

```

## Jonathan Nieder, 2013-09-28 00:08

Subject: Re: [PATCH] RelNotes/1.8.5: direct script writers to "git status --porcelain"
Message-ID: <20130928000853.GQ9464@google.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20130928000853.GQ9464%40google.com
In-Reply-To: <87y56jl3bz.fsf@gmail.com>

```
Keshav Kini wrote:
> Jakub Narebski <jnareb@gmail.com> writes:
>> Matthieu Moy <Matthieu.Moy@imag.fr> writes:

>>>   * "git status" now omits the prefix to make its output a comment in a
>>>     commit log editor, which is not necessary for human consumption.
>>> +   Scripts that parse the output of "git status" are advised to use
>>> +   "git status --porcelain", which is both easier to parse and stable,
>>> +   instead.
>>
>> Good addition.
[...]
>                   rewording it to the following is much better, IMHO:
> '... are advised to use "git status --porcelain" instead, as it is both
> stable and easier to parse.'

Thanks, all.

```