Thread (3 messages) 3 messages, 2 authors, 2016-06-15

Re: [PATCH] Reword -M, when in `git log`s documention, to suggest --follow

From: Junio C Hamano <hidden>
Date: 2016-06-15 22:47:57

Alex Vandiver [off-list ref] writes:
quoted hunk
The documentation for `git log` is sadly misleading when it comes
to tracking renames.  By far the most common option that users
new to git want is the ability to view the history of a file
across renames.  Unfortunately, `git log --help` shows:

    NAME
           git-log - Show commit logs
    [...]
    OPTIONS
    [...]
           -M
               Detect renames.

...and most users stop reading there.  Unfortunately, what
they're generally looking for comes significantly later:

    [...]
           --follow
               Continue listing the history of a file beyond renames.

Signed-off-by: Alex Vandiver <redacted>
---
 Documentation/diff-options.txt |    6 ++++++
 1 files changed, 6 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/diff-options.txt b/Documentation/diff-options.txt
index 8707d0e..bcbad88 100644
--- a/Documentation/diff-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/diff-options.txt
@@ -175,7 +175,13 @@ endif::git-format-patch[]
 	Break complete rewrite changes into pairs of delete and create.
 
 -M::
+ifdef::git-log[]
+	Show renames in diff output.  See `--follow` to track history
+	across renames.
With "s/history/history of a single file/", I think the new wording makes
more sense.
+endif::git-log[]
+ifndef::git-log[]
 	Detect renames.
+endif::git-log[]
Also we probably should do s/Detect renames/Show renames in diff output/
to match the earlier change.
 
 -C::
 	Detect copies as well as renames.  See also `--find-copies-harder`.
-- 
1.6.6.rc0.363.g69d13.dirty
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