Re: [PATCH 1/2] add--interactive: ignore mode change in 'p'atch command

On Thu, Mar 27, 2008 at 11:29:58AM -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote:

Yeah, but the user is really into microcommits, like "separate mode
change" thing really matters, maybe the user would want to make three
commits (1) chmod +x, (2) pure rename, and (3) content changes.

I personally think that is not worth it, so I am agreeing with you on the
"rename" one.

My feeling on the rename microcommit is that it is reasonable (though I
am not such a microcommitter), but that "git add -p" is probably not the
right tool for doing it. My view is that mode change and hunks are
_actual_ changes to the file, and you can pick and choose the changes
you have made. "rename" is not a change you made, but rather something
we infer from the changes that are available.

But I can also see how one has the opposite view. I dunno. It's hard to
speculate since I don't actually want to _use_ rename. ;)

Even though your two patches make perfect sense at the philosophical level
and I very much like it, I doubt "separating mode change" is so useful
from the practical point of view for that matter.
[...]
...then a patch came to make it the current "not asking
about mode change separately and if the user chooses to add anything from
the patch hunks, stage the mode change along with it" behaviour, people
might even think that such a patch is an improvement in usability by
asking one less question.  I dunno.

I don't think I would probably use mode change very often, but I found
the current behavior quite non-intuitive, and I think I would prefer if
it were explicit (and in 99% of cases, it won't come up at all, since
you haven't changed the mode!).

But this is all clearly post-1.5.5, so hopefully we can let it stew and
get some more comments from the list on what makes sense to people.

-Peff