Re: [PATCH 3/6] run-command: optimize out useless shell calls

Johannes Sixt [off-list ref] writes:

to help people set

 PAGER=C:\Program Files\cygwin\bin\less

That is, we first try to run the program without the shell, then retry
wrapped in sh -c.

Wouldn't it be possible to do the same here, assuming that we don't
have programs such as "editor -f" in the path?

It is a cute idea that covers 70-80% of the cases, as you also have to
assume that you don't have to specify your own pager on a path with IFS
(e.g. "Program files" in your example) and give your parameter to the
pager at the same time, e.g.

    PAGER="C:\Program Files\cygwin\bin\less -FRSX"

Because it has its own LESS environment to set FRSX and you can get away
with:

    PAGER="C:\Program Files\cygwin\bin\less"
    LESS=FRSX

"less" is not a representative example for this issue.  In real life I
suspect that custom programs that we don't ship with git (or you don't
ship with msysgit) would lack such a workaround, (and that is why I didn't
say "98% of the cases").