Re: [PATCH] branch: issue "-l" deprecation warning after pager starts

-- >8 --
Subject: [PATCH] branch: customize "-l" warning in list mode

People mistakenly use "git branch -l", thinking that it
triggers list mode. It doesn't, but the lack of non-option
arguments in that command does (and the "-l" becomes a
silent noop).

Since afc968e579 (branch: deprecate "-l" option, 2018-03-26)
we've warned that "-l" is going away. But the warning text
is primarily aimed at people who _meant_ to use "-l", as in
"git branch -l foo". People who mistakenly said "git branch
-l" may be left puzzled.

Let's make it clear that:

  1. No, "-l" didn't do what they thought here.

  2. It's going away, and what they should do instead.

Signed-off-by: Jeff King <redacted>
---
 builtin/branch.c | 10 ++++++++--
 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 55bfacd843..b0b33dab94 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c

@@ -701,8 +701,14 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
                setup_auto_pager("branch", 1);

        if (used_deprecated_reflog_option) {
-               warning("the '-l' alias for '--create-reflog' is deprecated;");
-               warning("it will be removed in a future version of Git");
+               if (list) {
+                       warning("the '-l' option is an alias for '--create-reflog' and");
+                       warning("has no effect in list mode. This option will soon be");
+                       warning("removed and you should omit it (or use '--list' instead).");
+               } else {
+                       warning("the '-l' alias for '--create-reflog' is deprecated;");
+                       warning("it will be removed in a future version of Git");
+               }