Re: [PATCH 6/7] stage: add 'diff' subcommand

From: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
To: Felipe Contreras <felipe.contreras@gmail.com>
Cc: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>,
	Bagas Sanjaya <bagasdotme@gmail.com>,
	git@vger.kernel.org, Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>,
	Matthieu Moy <git@matthieu-moy.fr>,
	Michael J Gruber <git@grubix.eu>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 6/7] stage: add 'diff' subcommand
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2021 16:30:36 -0400	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <YRQzbPpk23dVqP+g@coredump.intra.peff.net> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <611430a5b83e1_19f82083b@natae.notmuch>

On Wed, Aug 11, 2021 at 03:18:45PM -0500, Felipe Contreras wrote:

> > One thing I find off-putting about "git stage --diff" is that to me,
> > "stage" reads as a verb. So it is like "git add --diff", which seems
> > out-of-place; there are two verbs in a row.
> > 
> > I do not mind the term "staging area", but using "the stage" as a noun
> > is simply confusing to me in this context.
> 
> OK, but "stage" can be a noun.
> 
> Here is one of the definitions:
> 
>   : a center of attention or scene of action
> 
> This definition doesn't imply what the action is about, but
> "commit stage" should be perfectly aligned with that definition.
> 
> Here's another one:
> 
>   : one of two or more sections of a rocket that have their own fuel and engine

Sure, I know the various meanings of "stage" in English. But I do not find it a
synonym for "staging area" at all. Now my opinion may not matter, but:

  - I thought the goal of using a different name was to find something
    that made intuitive sense to English speakers. I do not find "the
    stage" any better than "the index" (in fact, I find it worse).

  - Part of your argument seems to be "many people expressed an opinion
    that the term 'staging area' was a good idea". My name was among
    them.  But in the very email from which you quoted me, I am arguing
    that "staging area" makes sense to me, but "the stage" does not.

-Peff