Re: [PATCH 4/10] Add current branch in PS1 support to git-completion.bash.

On Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:51:23 -0500
Shawn Pearce [off-list ref] wrote:

I actually started with the name __git_current_branch but changed
my mind on that and went with __git_ps1.

My rationale at the time was probably not correct (it was early this
morning) but I figured that the current branch name is "master"
while __git_ps1 prints " (master)".  Therefore __git_ps1 is not
really printing the current branch, its printing the current branch
and other stuff.  So I went with a name which implied its purpose.

Ahh, I had missed that, it makes some sense.  Although it goes a bit
against the commit message that the user is free to construct whatever
PS1 format they like (ie. they're stuck with parenthesis around the
branch name).

Just thinking out loud, what about allowing __git_ps1 to take a
format string of its own?  It could parse options like  "(\b)"
to mean git branch surrounded by parenthesis.  But you could
also do "[\b]" or "!\b" if you preferred.

Then adding additional options would be easy, like "\r" for
repo relative path etc... and the user really could create just
about any git prompt they wanted.  Of course, if __git_ps1
sees it's not in a git directory, it would always return an
empty string.

But that's maybe all too complicated to be worthwhile.  It's
something that could be considered for the git --show-ps1 option
though.