Re: [PATCH 1/2] doc: pull: explain what is a fast-forward

[Felipe Contreras <felipe.contreras@gmail.com>]

Philip Oakley wrote:
> On 24/06/2021 20:05, Felipe Contreras wrote:
> > Philip Oakley wrote:
> >> Hi Felipe,
> >> On 24/06/2021 15:31, Felipe Contreras wrote:
> >>> Philip Oakley wrote:
> >>>> On 21/06/2021 18:52, Felipe Contreras wrote:
> >>>>> --- a/Documentation/git-pull.txt
> >>>>> +++ b/Documentation/git-pull.txt
> >>>>> @@ -41,16 +41,41 @@ Assume the following history exists and the current branch is
> >>>>>  ------------
> >>>>>  	  A---B---C master on origin
> >>>>>  	 /
> >>>>> -    D---E---F---G master
> >>>>> +    D---E master
> >>>>>  	^
> >>>>>  	origin/master in your repository
> >>>>>  ------------
> >>>>>  
> >>>>>  Then "`git pull`" will fetch and replay the changes from the remote
> >>>>>  `master` branch since it diverged from the local `master` (i.e., `E`)
> >>>>> -until its current commit (`C`) on top of `master` and record the
> >>>>> -result in a new commit along with the names of the two parent commits
> >>>>> -and a log message from the user describing the changes.
> >>>>> +until its current commit (`C`) on top of `master`.
> >>>>> +
> >>>>> +After the remote changes have been synchronized, the local `master` will
> >>>>> +be fast-forwarded to the same commit as the remote one, therefore
> >>>> Perhaps s/be fast-forwarded/have been 'fast-forward'ed/ ?
> >>> No, there's multiple steps:
> >> My key point was to 'quote' the fast-forward term.
> > fast-forward is an English word [1], there's no need to quote it as if
> > it weren't.
> 
> You appear to be arguing that your "explain what is a fast-forward"
> (subject line of the patch) doesn't need, within the patch, to explain
> that it is about the term "fast-forward", being used in a Git specific
> way...

When you are trying to explain the meaning of a word it's generally
better to not use that word in the explanation. For example if you are
trying to explain "recursion", but you use "recursion" in the
explanation, that kinds of defeats the purpose.

So yes, in the sentence "the local `master` will be fast-forwarded to
the same commit as the remote one", the verb "fast-forwarded" can easily
be replaced with "advanced" and no meaning would be lost.

The meaning of this "fast-forward" verb is the same as when you
fast-forward a tape, and is not git-specific.

-- 
Felipe Contreras