Re: [PATCH v2 1/2] [GSOC] cherry-pick: fix bug when used with GIT_CHERRY_PICK_HELP
From: Junio C Hamano <hidden>
Date: 2021-08-04 17:31:37
Phillip Wood [off-list ref] writes:
quoted
You mean that cherry_pick with GIT_CHERRY_PICK_HELP suppresses CHERRY_PICK_HEAD is not even a bug?
I think that it is what the existing test is telling us. Of course, with a good reason, an earlier design can be updated as long as we make sure we won't hurt existing users who may rely on the current design, but ...
Looking at the history I think it is fair to conclude that GIT_CHERRY_PICK_HELP was introduced as a way to help people writing scripts built on top of 'git cherry-pick' like 'git rebase' that want to have a custom message and do not want to leave CHERRY_PICK_HEAD around if there are conflicts. I don't think it was intended as a way for users to change the help when cherry-picking and has never been documented as such. I think we'd be better to focus on improving the default help that cherry-pick prints as the second patch in this series does.
... I think that is a reasonable stance to take [*1*]. If the default help message can be improved, that is a good thing to do regardless. Thanks. [Footnote] *1* Tying the "here is a custom HELP text" environment variable to "having a customization means whoever is driving the cherry-pick machinery is ALSO responsible for sequencing and we will remove CHERRY_PICK_HEAD" is a rather unfortunate design, but as long as that is documented, it is a workable design.