Re: [PATCH v8 2/4] cat-file: teach cat-file a '--literally' option

[Karthik Nayak <karthik.188@gmail.com>]

On April 16, 2015 7:05:04 PM GMT+05:30, Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> wrote:
>karthik nayak <karthik.188@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> On 04/16/2015 02:22 AM, Junio C Hamano wrote:
>>
>>> This is a tangent, but while we are in the vicinity, we may want to
>>> rethink the help message we attach to the '-e' option.  Technically
>>> the current message is _not_ wrong per-se, but it misses the point.
>>> The primary thing the option does is to check the (e)xistence of the
>>> named object, and the fact that it does so silently is merely a
>>> detail of the operation.  The current help text omits the more
>>> important part of what the option is.
>>
>> Would you rather check '-e' and go on to check '-p' or do you merely
>> just want a different message.
>
>I meant just a different message.  The point of -e is to see if the
>thing exists.  It is good to mention _how_ the result is reported
>back to the user (i.e. via the exit code, not via an output to the
>standard output "exists" vs "missing", for example), but that is
>secondary.  Telling how it reports is meaningless without telling
>what it reports in the first place.

I see what you mean. But I think it's beyond the scope of this patch series. If no one does, I'll work on it

>
>> ... when a user is giving the '-e' option he just expects a silent
>> output if the object exists, hence we rather have the option '-e'
>> behave as a mutually exclusive option...
>
>Yes, and that is in line with the switch to OPT_CMDMODE.

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