Re: [PATCH] config.txt: alphabetize configuration variable groups

[Matt McCutchen <matt@mattmccutchen.net>]

On Mon, 2008-11-24 at 08:28 +0100, Johannes Sixt wrote:
> Matt McCutchen schrieb:
> > @@ -963,6 +953,8 @@ man.<tool>.path::
> >  	Override the path for the given tool that may be used to
> >  	display help in the 'man' format. See linkgit:git-help[1].
> >  
> > +include::merge-config.txt[]
> > +
> >  merge.conflictstyle::
> >  	Specify the style in which conflicted hunks are written out to
> >  	working tree files upon merge.  The default is "merge", which
> 
> Here, the list is not in alphabetic order anymore.

After my change, the list is in alphabetical order by the first
component (before the first dot).  I assume you're pointing out that I
haven't separated the merge.<driver> parameters from the non-<driver>
merge parameters.

The reason I left it that way was I thought there might be some reason
why merge.conflictstyle is in config.txt rather than merge-config.txt
(the difference being that it appears in "man git-config" but not
"man git-merge"), and to keep that arrangement while grouping together
the non-<driver> merge parameters, I would have to split
merge-config.txt into two separately included files.

I went back and looked at the commit (b5412484) that documented
merge.conflictstyle, and it appears that the placement in config.txt may
have been a mistake arising from the unsortedness of config.txt rather
than a conscious decision.  Thus, I'll move that entry to
merge-config.txt for the better grouping.  That does mean "man
git-merge" will contain two explanations of merge.conflictstyle (the
brief config-parameter one and the "HOW CONFLICTS ARE PRESENTED"
section), but I don't see that as a big problem.

> BTW, your commit message should emphasize the use-cases where an
> alphabetic order is a real benefit. Otherwise, this is just code churn.

I don't see alphabetization as a major benefit except that it might help
people add new parameters in the right place (case in point: the
addition of merge.conflictstyle).  And I figured that the config
parameters might as well be in /some/ order.  I'll state that in the
commit message.

Updated patch to follow.

Matt