Re: [RFH] convert shortlog to use parse_options

[Jeff King <peff@peff.net>]

On Thu, Dec 13, 2007 at 01:47:36PM -0500, Kristian Høgsberg wrote:

> Oops, sorry about that.  I just wanted to say we shouldn't jump through
> all these hoops to make the option parser support every type of option
> there ever was in the git command line ui.  A lot of these were probably
> decided somewhat arbitrarily by whoever implemented the command.
> Instead it's an opportunity to retroactively enforce some consistency
> and predictability to the various option-styles that have been
> hand-rolled over time in different git commands.

I agree. I am already a little bit uncomfortable with the "--abbrev 10"
won't work but "--foo 10" will, because it requires that the user
remember which arguments are optional and which are required. But
switching it to "--abbrev 10 works, but --abbrev $foo does not, unless
of course $foo is an integer, in which case you must use --abbrev=$foo"
is just a little bit too DWIM. E.g., if you are scripting, it's just one
more source of error (if I have $foo, how must I write --abbrev $foo for
it to ensure that I _don't_ trigger the optional argument?).

-Peff