Re: [PATCH] Documentation: git-format-patch.txt rewordings and cleanups

On Tue, Mar 24, 2009 at 04:36:15PM -0700, Stephen Boyd wrote:

On Tue, Mar 24, 2009 at 3:09 PM, J. Bruce Fields [off-list ref] wrote:

quoted

On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 03:21:23AM -0700, Stephen Boyd wrote:

quoted

 +
-Note that you would need to include the leading dot `.` if you
-want a filename like `0001-description-of-my-change.patch`, and
-the first letter does not have to be a dot.  Leaving it empty would
-not add any suffix.
+Note the first letter is not required to be a dot, you will need to
+include the leading dot `.` if you want a filename like
+`0001-description-of-my-change.patch`.

That's a comma-splice, trivially fixed by changing "dot, you" to "dot;
you".

Better?: "Note that the leading dot isn't actually required if you don't
want a dot between the patch name and the suffix."

(Though personally I'd strike the whole sentence, since a) probably
nobody cares, and b) the 1 in a million person that does actually want
to do this can figure it out easily enough on their own with a quick
test.)

--b.

I don't think documentation is meant to point the user to trial and
error. Even if the error is fairly harmless. Although you could be
right that nobody cares.

How about a sentence with no negation?

"Note that the leading dot is required if you want a dot between the
patch name and the suffix."

Sure!

--b.