Re: [PATCH] Don't ignore write failure from git-diff, git-log, etc.

On Sat, 26 May 2007, Jim Meyering wrote:

Each git command should report such a failure.
Some already do, but with the patch below, they all do, and we
won't have to rely on code in each command's implementation to
perform the right incantation.

The patch is wrong.

Some write errors are expected and GOOD.

For example, EPIPE should not be reported. It's normal. The user got 
bored. It might be hidden by the SIGPIPE killing us, but regardless, 
reporting it for the normal log/diff thing is just not correct. EPIPE 
isn't an error, it's a "ok, nobody is listening any more".

Also, PLEASE don't do this:

+		if (0 <= fcntl(fileno (stdout), F_GETFD)

That's totally unreadable to any normal human.

You don't say "if zero is smaller or equal to X". You say "if X is larger 
than or equal to zero". Stop messing with peoples minds, dammit!

Anybody who thinks that code like this causes fewer errors is just fooling 
himself. It causes *more* bugs, because people have a harder time reading 
it.

Maybe you and Junio have taught yourself bad manners, but you're a tiny 
tiny part of humanity or the development community. Junio can do it just 
because while he's just a single person, he's a big part of the git coding 
base, but anybody else who does it should just be shot.

			Linus