Re: [PATCH 1/2] cat-file doc: document that -e will return some output

Junio C Hamano [off-list ref] writes:

Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason  [off-list ref] writes:

quoted

The -e option added in 7950571ad7 ("A few more options for
git-cat-file", 2005-12-03) has always errored out with message on
stderr saying that the provided object is malformed, currently:

    $ git cat-file -e malformed; echo $?
    fatal: Not a valid object name malformed
    128

A careful reader of this documentation would be mislead into thinking
the could write:

    if ! git cat-file -e "$object" [...]

It is arguable if such a reader is careful or careless.  I'd rather drop
s/careful // there ;-)

Actually the phrasing around here was a bit strange, and I ended up
rewriting a bit more.

    cat-file doc: document that -e will return some output
    
    The -e option added in 7950571ad7 ("A few more options for
    git-cat-file", 2005-12-03) has always errored out with message on
    stderr saying that the provided object is malformed, like this:
    
        $ git cat-file -e malformed; echo $?
        fatal: Not a valid object name malformed
        128
    
    A reader of this documentation may be misled into thinking that
    
        if ! git cat-file -e "$object" [...]
    
    as opposed to:
    
        if ! git cat-file -e "$object" 2>/dev/null [...]
    
    is sufficient to implement a truly silent test that checks whether
    some arbitrary $object string was both valid, and pointed to an
    object that exists.
    
    Signed-off-by: Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason [off-list ref]
    Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano [off-list ref]