Re: [PATCH 2/4] add -u: get rid of "treewideupdate" configuration

On Sat, Apr 9, 2011 at 6:18 AM, Junio C Hamano [off-list ref] wrote:

Subject: [PATCH] magic pathspec: futureproof shorthand form

...

Also make ':' without anything else to mean "there is no pathspec".  This
would allow differences between "git log" and "git log ." run from the top
level of the working tree (the latter simplifies no-op commits away from
the history) to be expressed from a subdirectory by saying "git log :".

I need someone to enlighten me again. Why do we need ":" for "no
pathspec" when we can simply specify no pathspec for the same effect?

"git log" and "git log ." at top worktree are not different because
any changes in the tree will make top tree object different, hence no
pruning (unless someone commits the same tree, which is really rare).
So

 - "git log" in subdirectory is exactly the same as "git log" at top.
 - "git log :/" in subdir can do whatever "git log ." at top can.
 - "git log ." in subdir will prune commits that does not change
subdir (current behavior)

I don't (or no longer) see the point of reserving ":" for "no pathspec".
-- 
Duy