Re: [PATCH 2/2] sha1_name: fix error message for @{<N>}, @{<date>}

Ramkumar Ramachandra [off-list ref] writes:

Currently, when we try to resolve @{<N>} or @{<date>} when the reflog
doesn't go back far enough, we get errors like:

  # on branch master
  $ git show @{10000}
  fatal: Log for '' only has 7 entries.

  $ git show @{10000.days.ago}
  warning: Log for '' only goes back to Tue, 21 May 2013 14:14:45 +0530.
  ...

  # detached HEAD case
  $ git show @{10000}
  fatal: Log for '' only has 2005 entries.

  $ git show master@{10000}
  fatal: Log for 'master' only has 7 entries.

The empty string '' is ugly, inconsistent, and fails to convey
information about whose logs we are inspecting.  Change this so that we

What is this meant to update?  I recall rewriting this part on
purpose.

Even though it appears unusual and invites confusion, it is very
consistent to say '' when the user asks for @... as we say 'master'
when the user asks for master@...; "inconsistent" is a very bad
label for it.

Junio C Hamano wrote:

What is this meant to update?  I recall rewriting this part on
purpose.

I was being verbose to show that I handle the detached HEAD case too,
which I missed last time.

Even though it appears unusual and invites confusion, it is very
consistent to say '' when the user asks for @... as we say 'master'
when the user asks for master@...; "inconsistent" is a very bad
label for it.

The inconsistency refers to these two:

quoted

  # on branch master
  $ git show @{10000}
  fatal: Log for '' only has 7 entries.

quoted

  # detached HEAD case
  $ git show @{10000}
  fatal: Log for '' only has 2005 entries.

Is the commit message unclear?