# [PATCH] gitk: expand $config_file_tmp before reporting to user 7 messages from 2017-09-28 to 2017-09-29. Participants: Max Kirillov, Junio C Hamano, Johannes Schindelin, Uxío Prego. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/46851 ## Max Kirillov, 2017-09-28 04:14 Subject: [PATCH] gitk: expand $config_file_tmp before reporting to user Message-ID: <20170928041417.28947-1-max@max630.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20170928041417.28947-1-max%40max630.net ``` Tilda-based path may confise some users. First, tilda is not known for Window users, second, it may point to unexpected location depending on various environment setup. Expand the path to "nativename", so that ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp would be "C:\Users\user\.config\git\gitk-tmp", for example. It should be less cryptic Signed-off-by: Max Kirillov --- gitk | 3 ++- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/gitk b/gitk index 877d49e1de..48c1d3e714 100755 --- a/gitk +++ b/gitk @@ -2844,7 +2844,8 @@ proc config_check_tmp_exists {tries_left} { if {$tries_left > 0} { after 100 [list config_check_tmp_exists $tries_left] } else { - error_popup "There appears to be a stale $config_file_tmp\ + error_popup "There appears to be a stale \ + \"[file nativename $config_file_tmp]\" \ file, which will prevent gitk from saving its configuration on exit.\ Please remove it if it is not being used by any existing gitk process." } -- 2.11.0.1122.gc3fec58.dirty ``` ## Junio C Hamano, 2017-09-28 04:37 Subject: Re: [PATCH] gitk: expand $config_file_tmp before reporting to user Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/xmqq4lrn30bz.fsf%40gitster.mtv.corp.google.com In-Reply-To: <20170928041417.28947-1-max@max630.net> ``` Max Kirillov writes: > Tilda-based path may confise some users. First, tilda is not known > for Window users, second, it may point to unexpected location > depending on various environment setup. > > Expand the path to "nativename", so that ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp > would be "C:\Users\user\.config\git\gitk-tmp", for example. > It should be less cryptic It might be less cryptic, but for those of us whose $HOME is a looooooong path, ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp is much easier to understand than the same path with ~/ expanded, which would push the part of the filename that most matters far to the right hand side of the dialog. I somehow find this change just robbing Peter to pay Paul. > } else { > - error_popup "There appears to be a stale $config_file_tmp\ > + error_popup "There appears to be a stale \ > + \"[file nativename $config_file_tmp]\" \ ``` ## Junio C Hamano, 2017-09-28 04:47 Subject: Re: [PATCH] gitk: expand $config_file_tmp before reporting to user Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/xmqqzi9f1lb2.fsf%40gitster.mtv.corp.google.com In-Reply-To: ``` Junio C Hamano writes: > Max Kirillov writes: > >> Tilda-based path may confise some users. First, tilda is not known >> for Window users, second, it may point to unexpected location >> depending on various environment setup. >> >> Expand the path to "nativename", so that ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp >> would be "C:\Users\user\.config\git\gitk-tmp", for example. >> It should be less cryptic > > It might be less cryptic, but for those of us whose $HOME is a > looooooong path, ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp is much easier to understand > than the same path with ~/ expanded, which would push the part of > the filename that most matters far to the right hand side of the > dialog. > > I somehow find this change just robbing Peter to pay Paul. Having said that, because a set-up might have HOME or XDG_CONFIG or other things misconfigured to point at a place where the end user may not be expecting, I tend to think that catering to Paul by showing the information closer to the bare metal is much more worthy thing to do than keeping Peter happy. Since this is an error path, accuracy trumps convenience. So no objection from me (unless somebody else comes up with an alternative that would make both camps happy, that is). Thanks. ``` ## Johannes Schindelin, 2017-09-28 12:31 Subject: Re: [PATCH] gitk: expand $config_file_tmp before reporting to user Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/alpine.DEB.2.21.1.1709281428170.40514%40virtualbox In-Reply-To: ``` Hi Junio, On Thu, 28 Sep 2017, Junio C Hamano wrote: > Junio C Hamano writes: > > > Max Kirillov writes: > > > >> Tilda-based path may confise some users. First, tilda is not known > >> for Window users, second, it may point to unexpected location > >> depending on various environment setup. > >> > >> Expand the path to "nativename", so that ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp > >> would be "C:\Users\user\.config\git\gitk-tmp", for example. > >> It should be less cryptic Thanks, Max, for your contribution! > > It might be less cryptic, but for those of us whose $HOME is a > > looooooong path, ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp is much easier to understand > > than the same path with ~/ expanded, which would push the part of > > the filename that most matters far to the right hand side of the > > dialog. Heh, do you want to know how that must sound to a Windows user? I'm not saying that I am a hard-core Windows user, but I do know a few, and I already hear their comments in their own voice in my head... > > I somehow find this change just robbing Peter to pay Paul. > > Having said that, because a set-up might have HOME or XDG_CONFIG or > other things misconfigured to point at a place where the end user > may not be expecting, I tend to think that catering to Paul by > showing the information closer to the bare metal is much more worthy > thing to do than keeping Peter happy. Since this is an error path, > accuracy trumps convenience. > > So no objection from me (unless somebody else comes up with an > alternative that would make both camps happy, that is). To Unix/Linux users, the tilde (or Tilda, I really like that nickname, it makes it much more human and tolerable) is probably *very* familiar. As familiar, as it is unfamiliar to Windows users. So I would actually suggest to make this a conditional on the platform: on Windows, use the native name, everywhere else, not. Sound good? Johannes ``` ## Junio C Hamano, 2017-09-28 22:03 Subject: Re: [PATCH] gitk: expand $config_file_tmp before reporting to user Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/xmqqzi9ezdk4.fsf%40gitster.mtv.corp.google.com In-Reply-To: ``` Johannes Schindelin writes: >> > Max Kirillov writes: >> > >> >> Tilda-based path may confise some users. First, tilda is not known >> >> for Window users, second, it may point to unexpected location >> >> depending on various environment setup. > ... > As familiar, as it is unfamiliar to Windows users. > > So I would actually suggest to make this a conditional on the platform: on > Windows, use the native name, everywhere else, not. > > Sound good? Not really. I agree with and (more importantly) consider the second rationale Max cites a more relevant one for this change. This is about reporting an error, and using the short-hand ~/$rest that could be pointing at a location different from what the user _thinks_ it points at for whatever reason (miconfigured HOME, some intermediate process setting it to something else, etc.) can hide the real issue. The problem can be more easily noticed and diagnosed if the message shows the result of 'nativename'. And that rationale holds whether you are seeing the error message on Windows or non-Windows. ``` ## Max Kirillov, 2017-09-29 04:34 Subject: Re: [PATCH] gitk: expand $config_file_tmp before reporting to user Message-ID: <20170929043406.GA9325@jessie.local> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20170929043406.GA9325%40jessie.local In-Reply-To: ``` On Thu, Sep 28, 2017 at 02:31:17PM +0200, Johannes Schindelin wrote: >>> Max Kirillov writes: >>>> Tilda-based path may confise some users. First, tilda is not known >>>> for Window users, second, it may point to unexpected location >>>> depending on various environment setup. >>>> >>>> Expand the path to "nativename", so that ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp >>>> would be "C:\Users\user\.config\git\gitk-tmp", for example. >>>> It should be less cryptic > Thanks, Max, for your contribution! I do what I can. Just noticed s question at SO about it (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/46450479/how-to-remove-the-stale-gitk-tmp-file) Provided that I was author of the message, it looked like something for me to fix. > Sound good? As Junio noticed, it would be more reliable to show full path, and error message does not have to be very nice anyway. Also, gitk is already too big and I always feel bad when adding stuff to it, so let's save couple of lines by not adding another "if". -- Max ``` ## Uxío Prego, 2017-09-29 20:24 Subject: Re: [PATCH] gitk: expand $config_file_tmp before reporting to user Message-ID: <544DEAEA-9F66-471A-BEC9-B3D1F3C475AD@madiva.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/544DEAEA-9F66-471A-BEC9-B3D1F3C475AD%40madiva.com In-Reply-To: ``` Well something like this is not paying _Paul_ enough for what he gave to The People, so I do not think there is worth trying. > On 28 Sep 2017, at 06:37, Junio C Hamano wrote: > > Max Kirillov writes: > >> Tilda-based path may confise some users. First, tilda is not known >> for Window users, second, it may point to unexpected location >> depending on various environment setup. >> >> Expand the path to "nativename", so that ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp >> would be "C:\Users\user\.config\git\gitk-tmp", for example. >> It should be less cryptic > > It might be less cryptic, but for those of us whose $HOME is a > looooooong path, ~/.config/git/gitk-tmp is much easier to understand > than the same path with ~/ expanded, which would push the part of > the filename that most matters far to the right hand side of the > dialog. > > I somehow find this change just robbing Peter to pay Paul. > >> } else { >> - error_popup "There appears to be a stale $config_file_tmp\ >> + error_popup "There appears to be a stale \ >> + \"[file nativename $config_file_tmp]\" \ > ```