Re: [RFC/PATCH] worktree: replace "checkout --to" with "worktree new"

On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 6:02 PM, Eric Sunshine [off-list ref] wrote:

On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 5:23 AM, Duy Nguyen [off-list ref] wrote:

quoted

On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 11:56 AM, Eric Sunshine [off-list ref] wrote:

quoted

The command "git checkout --to <path>" is something of an anachronism,
encompassing functionality somewhere between "checkout" and "clone".
The introduction of the git-worktree command, however, provides a proper
and intuitive place to house such functionality. Consequently,
re-implement "git checkout --to" as "git worktree new".

"git worktree new" definitely makes sense (maybe stick with verbs like
"create", I'm not sure if we have some convention in existing
commands), but should we remove "git checkout --to"? I could do "git
co -b foo --to bar" for example.

You can still do that with "git worktree new bar -b foo", which is
effectively the same as "git checkout --to bar -b foo" (with
s/checkout/worktree/ and s/--to/new/ applied), though perhaps you
don't find it as obvious or natural.

I had never understood why you chose to plug the linked-worktree
functionality into git-checkout via --to, but this usage pattern
(creating a new branch and checking it out into a new worktree as one
operation) goes a long way toward explaining why you consider
git-checkout a proper home for linked-worktree creation. I don't think
that justification was ever mentioned when the series was being
presented (or, if it was, I must have missed it). Now it makes much
more sense, and I can better appreciate your desire to keep "git
checkout --to" as an alias for "git worktree add". Thanks for
explaining it.

(Having said that, replacing "git checkout --to" with "git worktree
add" still seems a preferable first step, while keeping open the door
to re-add "git checkout --to" later if we become convinced that it's
worthwhile.)