Re: [PATCH v2 1/2] Documentation/config: fix typos

["Kristoffer Haugsbakk" <kristofferhaugsbakk@fastmail.com>]

On Mon, Sep 23, 2024, at 21:13, Kristoffer Haugsbakk wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 23, 2024, at 21:05, Eric Sunshine wrote:
>> [...]
>>
>> An interdiff is just a plain diff. If you have branch (or tag) "v1"
>> which is the original version of a patch series, and "v2" which is the
>> reroll of the series, then interdiff is simply:
>>
>>     git diff v1 v2
>>
>> Thus, it shows the difference between the final state of the code at
>> v1 and the state at v2. Interdiffs are easy to read because they are
>> just diffs. However, because they are only showing differences in file
>> content, they don't show changes to commit messages or new or removed
>> or reordered patches in a series.
>>
>> A range-diff is a diff-of-diffs. It is very, very roughly similar to this:
>>
>>     git format-patch -o v1-patches <common-base>..v1
>>     git format-patch -o v2-patches <common-base>..v2
>>     some-diff-dir-command v1-patches v2-patches
>>
>> It shows the diff of the patches themselves, including changes to
>> commit messages and changes to changes, as well as inserted and
>> removed and reordered patches.
>>
>> Range-diffs tend to be a good deal more difficult to read (at least at
>> first) but help show the evolution of the _patch series_ itself
>> between versions, whereas interdiffs show only the evolution of the
>> _code_ between versions. As a reviewer, if you're primarily interested
>> in how the code evolved, then interdiffs are much more easily
>> digested, but most reviewers are also interested in the holistic
>> aspects of a patch series for which range-diffs are more helpful. I
>> periodically include both range-diff and interdiffs in my rerolls.
>
> Thanks for that.  I love when a good range-diff falls out of a
> reroll—and I love the tool—but of course that can’t be expected out of
> every reroll.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.  But interdiff turned out to be really
useful.  Minor rerolls are really easy to read.  Such a pleasure to get
a quick sanity check before sending out a new round.

And then I also get to use range-diff at the same time—the cherry on top.

-- 
Kristoffer Haugsbakk