From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Jean-Christian de Rivaz Subject: Re: git annoyances Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:08:47 +0200 Message-ID: <47FDAEEF.3090004@eclis.ch> References: <20080409101428.GA2637@elte.hu> <7vfxtu3fku.fsf@gitster.siamese.dyndns.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE Cc: Ingo Molnar , git@vger.kernel.org To: Junio C Hamano X-From: git-owner@vger.kernel.org Thu Apr 10 08:43:38 2008 Return-path: Envelope-to: gcvg-git-2@gmane.org Received: from vger.kernel.org ([209.132.176.167]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1JjqVT-0000ZU-Hf for gcvg-git-2@gmane.org; Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:43:36 +0200 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1752948AbYDJGmu convert rfc822-to-quoted-printable (ORCPT ); Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:42:50 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1752826AbYDJGmu (ORCPT ); Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:42:50 -0400 Received: from static-217-162-2-166.swisslink.ch ([217.162.2.166]:48060 "EHLO mail.eclis.ch" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1752864AbYDJGmu (ORCPT ); Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:42:50 -0400 X-Greylist: delayed 2035 seconds by postgrey-1.27 at vger.kernel.org; Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:42:49 EDT Received: from [10.192.57.55] (pub1.heig-vd.ch [193.134.216.2]) by mail.eclis.ch (Postfix) with ESMTP id BFE3458186; Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:07:16 +0200 (CEST) User-Agent: IceDove 1.5.0.14pre (X11/20080304) In-Reply-To: <7vfxtu3fku.fsf@gitster.siamese.dyndns.org> Sender: git-owner@vger.kernel.org Precedence: bulk List-ID: X-Mailing-List: git@vger.kernel.org Archived-At: Junio C Hamano a =E9crit : > That made us allowing the users to type "git pull" and "git fetch" wi= thout > parameters. This is generally a good thing: shorter to type for doin= g > common things is always good, as long as the user knows what he is do= ing. >=20 > But at the same time, this allowed docs and cheat-sheets that mention= only > the form without parameters and not the normative "repository refspec= " > form. This dumbed down the users not understand that in that context > fetch (and pull, which is a fetch followed by a merge) is always happ= ening > against a single branch of single remote repository, the way to name > remote repository and its branch(es) is to give them as separate > parameters, and their not typing the pair explicitly is a mere conven= ience > feature. This particular aspect of the shorthand is actually very ba= d. > It makes the mental model fuzzy, and hiding important rules of how th= e > world works from new people would lead them to unnecessary confusion.= In > short, we made it harder for the new people to "get" it. A possible way it to, by default, make git print the full form of the=20 command when a short form is used. So the user see the concept without=20 having to read the documentation and learn it gradually. I personally=20 like tools that act this way. It permit to make a basic and easy=20 tutorial with short commands that let know the general concept and show= =20 the full potential of the tool. A "short form" flag in a user (not repository) configuration file shoul= d=20 allow to suppress the long form printout for the comfort of the users=20 that don't want it. -- Jean-Christian de Rivaz