Re: [PATCH v3] build: add default aliases

On Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 1:18 AM, Jeff King [off-list ref] wrote:

On Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 12:49:21AM -0500, Felipe Contreras wrote:

quoted

Anyway, if you are so worried about this hypothetical user not
noticing that 'git ci' didn't commit all the files, we could ma ci to
'git commit -v' so we are being straightforward to the user as to what
is being committed.

I do not think that is a useful suggestion, as the output of "commit -v"
is typically too long for unsuspecting people to check carefully, and is
redundant with the filename summary we already put in the commit
template. And neither is shown with "-m", anyway.  I agree it's a
minority of cases where somebody will make a bogus commit because of it,
though.

But let's take a step back for a moment. What was the goal of the patch?
Who are we trying to help? People who already have identical aliases are
not helped on existing boxes; they already have them. They might be
helped on new boxes, where they will not have to copy over their custom
aliases (but they would probably end up wanting to copy the rest of
their config and aliases anyway).

They probably will want that, but they won't be forced to by typing
failing commands, they could do it later at their pleasure.

People who have different aliases for
the same terms are unaffected on existing boxes, but slightly hindered
on new boxes as the aliases do something else.

Less hindered than in the current situation.

People with no matching aliases now get these aliases. What do they
expect them to do? Do they expect "commit" or "commit -a"? Do they
expect "status" or "status -s" or "status -sb"? Are we trying for
consistency across git installations, or consistency with similar
aliases in systems like cvs (in which case, would that argue for "commit
-a")? Do people who have not bothered to configure the aliases even
care?

cvs ci = cvs commit
cvs co = cvs checkout

svn ci = svn commit
svn co = svn checkout

hg ci = hg commit
hg co = hg checkout

And somehow you think this is not natural and sensible?

git ci = git commit
git co = git checkout

I think it's as clear as day.

-- 
Felipe Contreras