# Confusing language in man page 4 messages from 2007-07-14 to 2007-07-15. Participants: Satyam Sharma, Alex Riesen. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/9038 ## Satyam Sharma, 2007-07-14 18:08 Subject: Confusing language in man page Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/a781481a0707141108g4664a627w94e0d21c3629cb49%40mail.gmail.com ``` Hi, [ I'm using Fedora's latest package. ] >From git-checkout(1) and git-branch(1): -l Create the new branch's ref log. This activates recording of all changes to made the branch ref, enabling use of date I'd be glad if someone could explain that a bit more verbosely in the man page (or just here in a reply), or at least make that grammatically correct/readable :-) Thanks, Satyam ``` ## Satyam Sharma, 2007-07-14 20:27 Subject: Re: Confusing language in man page Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/a781481a0707141327k5b6f8f43sc6330ff8cc504dd1%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: ``` On 7/14/07, Satyam Sharma wrote: > Hi, > > [ I'm using Fedora's latest package. ] I should probably clarify: $ git --version git version 1.5.0.6 Perhaps man pages / functionality have been updated significantly since that, so let me know if that's the case. > From git-checkout(1) and git-branch(1): > > -l Create the new branch's ref log. This activates recording of > all changes to made the > branch ref, enabling use of date > > I'd be glad if someone could explain that a bit more verbosely > in the man page > (or just here in a reply), or at least make that grammatically > correct/readable :-) Ok, another confusion I hit (as I learn more about git) tonight: * What exactly is the use of git-diff's "-p" option? $ git diff and $ git diff -p produce the same output / do the same thing -- the man page mentions "Generate patch (see section on generating patches)" but I couldn't find said section (is that referring to some other man page?) * On my system, doing: $ git diff with no outstanding changes in my current working tree produces some bogus newlines, throwing the prompt to the bottom of the xterm window. This sounds like weird / undesirable behaviour and I have a feeling must already be fixed in latest git (?) Thanks, Satyam ``` ## Alex Riesen, 2007-07-15 09:40 Subject: Re: Confusing language in man page Message-ID: <20070715094038.GE2568@steel.home> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20070715094038.GE2568%40steel.home In-Reply-To: ``` Satyam Sharma, Sat, Jul 14, 2007 22:27:52 +0200: > * On my system, doing: > > $ git diff > > with no outstanding changes in my current working tree produces some > bogus newlines, throwing the prompt to the bottom of the xterm window. > This sounds like weird / undesirable behaviour and I have a feeling must > already be fixed in latest git (?) It is not git. It is the program less which git uses. The problem is known to the author of less. ``` ## Satyam Sharma, 2007-07-15 21:25 Subject: Re: Confusing language in man page Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/a781481a0707151425q11e35280rd0118ac9e122c55d%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: <20070715094038.GE2568@steel.home> ``` On 7/15/07, Alex Riesen wrote: > Satyam Sharma, Sat, Jul 14, 2007 22:27:52 +0200: Ok, the first two were silly questions I got answered as I got to know more about git automatically :-) > > * On my system, doing: > > > > $ git diff > > > > with no outstanding changes in my current working tree produces some > > bogus newlines, throwing the prompt to the bottom of the xterm window. > > This sounds like weird / undesirable behaviour and I have a feeling must > > already be fixed in latest git (?) > > It is not git. It is the program less which git uses. The problem is > known to the author of less. As for this one, I sent out a mail to bug-less@ just in case -- it's a weird and annoying thing. Thanks! ```