Re: [PATCH v2 4/4] init: provide useful advice about init.defaultBranch

[Johannes Schindelin <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de>]

Hi Junio,

On Mon, 23 Nov 2020, Junio C Hamano wrote:

> "Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
> writes:
>
> > +static const char default_branch_name_advice[] = N_(
> > +"Using '%s' as the name for the initial branch. This default branch name\n"
> > +"is subject to change. To configure the initial branch name to use in all\n"
> > +"of your new repositories, run:\n"
>
> I think this is good, assuming that "subject to change" covers the
> case where we end up doing nothing after all.  I'd feel safer if we
> said "s/is subject to change/may change in the future/", but this is
> not a strong preference.

I'd rather keep the current form, as it sounds a bit more firm to me.

> > +"\n"
> > +"\tgit config --global init.defaultBranch <name>\n"
> > +"\n"
> > +"Common names are 'main', 'trunk' and 'development'. If you merely wish\n"
> > +"to suppress this warning, you can also use the current default branch\n"
> > +"name. The current branch can be renamed via this command:\n"
>
> I think this is worse than the previous one.  Those who merely wish
> to suppress the message without wanting to commit to a particular
> name (i.e. they just want to take whatever the default we give them)
> would be mislead and be frozen in time forever.  We do not give
> "I'll just accept the default of the day" choice, and that is OK,
> but we want to be clear about it, which is why I've kept raising this
> as an issue.
>
>     To configure the initial branch name to use in all of your new
>     repositories and squelch this message, run:
>
> may be better---it makes it clear that the offered two choices are
> (1) do nothing and see this message every time, or (2) commit to a
> name and not see this message again.

Well, I think I finally understand what you are saying: there is a
legitimate need for a way to go with Git's preference but still suppress
that message.

I introduced `advice.defaultBranchName` to that end, and now display
prominently, at the top of the message, how to use that flag to avoid
seeing this advice ever again.

Ciao,
Dscho