Re: [PATCH v3 2/3] git-push: clean up some of the output from git push --porcelain

On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 03:23:09PM -0800, Junio C Hamano wrote:

quoted

I would say yes. The advice output should all be on stderr, and the
porcelain output should all be on stdout. So there is no parsing
conflict. And stderr either goes to /dev/null (because the porcelain is
not terminal-based, or doesn't want the terminal screwed up), in which
case the advice does nothing, or stderr goes to the terminal (because
the porcelain is some simple script), in which case the message is
probably something the user would want to see.

Hmm, if we make it a rule to send all the advice messages to the standard
error stream, wouldn't the logical conclusion be that the hunk you are
commenting is unnecessary?  "push --porcelain" should give advice just as
usual (but we would simply send the advice to the standard error stream).

Yes and no. The advice it is giving is specifically related to things
you can't see, so it is not really as helpful as it could be. And in
that sense, squelching may be positive.

But it seems that the thread has come to the conclusion that we're still
going to have messages on stderr. There is not much point in suppressing
one particular message if there is a bunch of other cruft. Either the
user should see stuff on stderr, or they shouldn't, and the caller can
decide by redirecting stderr. So yes, squelching that advice probably
should just be dropped.

-Peff