Re: [PATCH] git-reset: Let -q hush "locally modified" messages

[Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>]

Stephan Beyer <s-beyer@gmx.net> writes:

> Junio C Hamano wrote:
> ...
>> Files being "locally modified" is not and error, so I think it is in line
>> with the spirit of what -q is meant to do.
>> 
>> It is an interface change, though.
>
> Yes, as "needs update" -> "locally modified" was.
>
> However, scripts, that rely on filenames when doing -q (whyever),
> will break.

I was not worried about scripts.  "reset" is a Porcelain, and it is Ok for
the scripts to use it and rely on what it does (e.g. "git reset HEAD^"
will move the HEAD one commit back and match your index to it), but they
should not be depending on its output to be parsable.  Perhaps it is Ok
for them to detect if there is any change by observing if it spits out
anything, but that is about it.  So the earlier change to use "locall
modified" does not really matter in that sense, but squelching the output
altogether is a change with bigger impact.  With your patch, we declare
that the scripts should not assume anything about its output.

I was more worried about expectation from human users.  We used to get a
reminder of the paths that are different from the HEAD/index, even with
the "-q" option, in the form of human-readable list of paths.  Your patch
changes that.

Having said all that (the only reason I said the above is not because I
think this particular interface change is a big deal, but because I wanted
to explain what kind of interface change I do and do _not_ care about when
we talk about Porcelain), when the user explicitly gives "-q" to the
command, I think it is Ok to assume that the user does not want to hear
anything back.  I do not see any fundamental problem with your patch in
that sense.

It still is an interface change, though ;-)