Re: [PATCH] rev-list-options: clarify the usage of -n/--max-number
Pranit Bauva <pranit.bauva@gmail.com> writes:
> -n=<number>, -<number>, --max-number=<number> shows the last n commits
> specified in <number> irrespective of whether --reverse is used or not.
> With --reverse, it just shows the last n commits in reverse order.
I think it is easier to understand if you updated the description of "--reverse", rather than "-<n>". "rev-list -n $N" that stops after showing $N commits is something everybody understands. What often dissapoints some users is that "--reverse" kicks in _after_ what commits are to be shown are decided.
Show 13 quoted lines
> Documentation/rev-list-options.txt | 2 +-
> 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt b/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt
> index 7e462d3..6b7c2e5 100644
> --- a/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/rev-list-options.txt
> @@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ ordering and formatting options, such as `--reverse`.
> -<number>::
> -n <number>::
> --max-count=<number>::
> - Limit the number of commits to output.
> + Limit to last n number of commits to output specified in <number>.
These essentially say the same thing. The original does not mention where and how <number> is used, but "Limit the number of commits" as a description for "-<number>" would be understood by anybody halfway intelligent that the given number is used as that limit, so I do not think an updated description is making it easier to understand.
There is a paragraph of interest in an earlier part of "Commit Limiting" section (which is the section "-n" appears in, among other options):
Note that these are applied before commit
ordering and formatting options, such as `--reverse`.So the documentation already makes an attempt to avoid confusion Ruediger saw, i.e. "rev-list traverses, limits the output to N, and then shows these N commits in reverse" is what it expects readers to understand, and that it also expects it would lead naturally to "these N commits are still from the newest part of the history, hence 'rev-list --reverse -n N' is not how you grab the earliest N".
But apparently the attempt by the current documentation is not enough. Let's see how it describes the '--reverse' option:
Commit Ordering
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By default, the commits are shown in reverse chronological order.
... --reverse::
Output the commits in reverse order.
Cannot be combined with `--walk-reflogs`.Perhaps "Output the commits chosen to be shown (see Commit Limiting section above) in reverse order." would make it clearer?
Ruediger Meier
