Re: [PATCH 2/5] cat-file: mention --unordered along with --batch-all-objects

On Thu, Oct 07, 2021 at 12:18:45PM +0200, Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason wrote:

quoted

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The usage of OPT_CMDMODE() in "cat-file"[1] was added in parallel with
the development of[3] the --batch-all-objects option[4], so we've
since grown[5] checks that it can't be combined with other command
modes, when it should just be made a top-level command-mode
instead. It doesn't combine with --filters, --textconv etc.

This is not right. --batch-all-objects does not provide a mode exclusive
with "-t", etc, by itself.

Yes it does. See the "if (opt) {" branch on master. We just don't
implement it via a cmdmode, but --batch-all-objects can definitely be a
CMDMODE (I see you found that out below...)

I agree that if you make it a CMDMODE it does not introduce any bugs.
But it is semantically confusing. You would not make, say, --buffer a
CMDMODE option. It is a flag which only takes effect under certain
modes. And the same is true of --batch-all-objects, which modifies the
batch cmd modes.

In fact, it _would_ be a bug to make it a CMDMODE if --batch were
correctly marked as one (but it is not sufficient to reason the other
way; --batch without --batch-all-objects is still mutually exclusive
with -t, etc).

What really makes things confusing, IMHO, is the --textconv and --filter
options. They are marked as CMDMODEs, and they are indeed mutually
exclusive with -t, etc. But they also work with --batch, which is itself
a different mode.

So I don't think OPT_CMDMODE could ever present this complete set of
rules, because they are not all mutually exclusive with each other. But
I think calling "--batch-all-objects" a mode is just muddying the waters
even further.

-Peff