Re: Branch list by date

[Jeff King <peff@peff.net>]

On Mon, Jul 07, 2014 at 09:54:55PM -0700, Jeremy Apthorp wrote:

> I write this missive with dual purpose: firstly to share a potentially
> useful tool, and secondly to suggest that this feature (with a less
> mind-wrenchingly disgusting implementation) might be included in
> mainline git, as for example `git branch [-t] | [--by-time]`.

I think what we should aim for is:

  1. Teaching git-branch the same sorting as for-each-ref. So first
     --sort, and then possibly "-t" as an alias for "--sort=committerdate".

  2. Teaching git-branch custom output formats. We have "-v" and "-vv",
     but it should support the full power of for-each-ref's --format
     atoms.

  3. Teach branch and for-each-ref to support readable colors in their
     formats, like we do for "log --format".

  4. Optionally add config options to configure defaults for the above,
     so "git branch" shows what you want.

I'm (slowly) working on a refactor that will unify for-each-ref and
branch, which would accomplish (1) and (2).

-Peff