[PATCH] Add completion for short options

[PATCH] Add completion for short options

[Wiktor Mis via GitGitGadget]

From: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>

Git provided completion for long options but not the short ones

Signed-off-by: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
---
    Add completion for short options

Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-git-2100%2FWiktorro%2Fpatch-3-v1
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-git-2100/Wiktorro/patch-3-v1
Pull-Request: https://github.com/git/git/pull/2100

 contrib/completion/git-completion.bash | 10 ++++++++++
 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+)

diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index 73abea31b4..3f1d6c0955 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -3916,6 +3916,16 @@ __git_main ()
 			--help
 			"
 			;;
+		-*)
+			__gitcomp "
+			-C
+			-P
+			-c
+			-h
+			-p
+			-v
+			"
+			;;
 		*)
 			if test -n "${GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST-}"
 			then

base-commit: fd372d9b1a69a01a676398882bbe3840bf51fe72
-- 
gitgitgadget

Re: [PATCH] Add completion for short options

[Junio C Hamano]

"Wiktor Mis via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com> writes:

As the large part of the completion script is about completing git
subcommands and options to these subcommands, it seems that nobody
noticed the lack of completion for options of "git" itself.

> Subject: Re: [PATCH] Add completion for short options

This title makes it appear much broader than what the patch does,
which is to complete "git -<TAB>" with short options for the "git"
potty.

    Subjct: [PATCH] completion: complete "git -<TAB>" with short options

perhaps.

> From: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
>
> Git provided completion for long options but not the short ones

Complete the sentence with something like

    ... not the short ones for "git" itself.

> Signed-off-by: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
> ---
>     Add completion for short options
>
> Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-git-2100%2FWiktorro%2Fpatch-3-v1
> Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-git-2100/Wiktorro/patch-3-v1
> Pull-Request: https://github.com/git/git/pull/2100
>
>  contrib/completion/git-completion.bash | 10 ++++++++++
>  1 file changed, 10 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> index 73abea31b4..3f1d6c0955 100644
> --- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> +++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> @@ -3916,6 +3916,16 @@ __git_main ()
>  			--help
>  			"
>  			;;
> +		-*)
> +			__gitcomp "
> +			-C
> +			-P
> +			-c
> +			-h
> +			-p
> +			-v
> +			"
> +			;;

When you type

    $ git -<TAB>

the current completion without this patch does nothing.  The above
change makes it instead show the listed six.

Which is a good enough incremental update, I guess.

I however wonder if a separate follow-up change to let

    $ git -<TAB>

to show completion for both short and long options make the world
even a better place.  With the current completion, even with this
patch, you need to type double-dash-and-TAB to ask for list of long
options.

Thanks, will queue.

[PATCH v2] completion: complete "git -<TAB>" with short options

[Wiktor Mis via GitGitGadget]

From: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>

"git" itself has completion for long options and cmds, but not short ones

Signed-off-by: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
---
    Add completion for short options

Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-git-2100%2FWiktorro%2Fpatch-3-v2
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-git-2100/Wiktorro/patch-3-v2
Pull-Request: https://github.com/git/git/pull/2100

Range-diff vs v1:

 1:  1b15a0b458 ! 1:  e6161ffe3b Add completion for short options
     @@ Metadata
      Author: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
      
       ## Commit message ##
     -    Add completion for short options
     +    completion: complete "git -<TAB>" with short options
      
     -    Git provided completion for long options but not the short ones
     +    "git" itself has completion for long options and cmds, but not short ones
      
          Signed-off-by: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
      
       ## contrib/completion/git-completion.bash ##
      @@ contrib/completion/git-completion.bash: __git_main ()
     - 			--help
     - 			"
       			;;
     + 		esac
     + 		case "$cur" in
     +-		--*)
      +		-*)
     -+			__gitcomp "
     + 			__gitcomp "
     + 			--paginate
     + 			--no-pager
     +@@ contrib/completion/git-completion.bash: __git_main ()
     + 			--namespace=
     + 			--no-replace-objects
     + 			--help
      +			-C
      +			-P
      +			-c
      +			-h
      +			-p
      +			-v
     -+			"
     -+			;;
     + 			"
     + 			;;
       		*)
     - 			if test -n "${GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST-}"
     - 			then


 contrib/completion/git-completion.bash | 8 +++++++-
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index 73abea31b4..1705ca3323 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -3898,7 +3898,7 @@ __git_main ()
 			;;
 		esac
 		case "$cur" in
-		--*)
+		-*)
 			__gitcomp "
 			--paginate
 			--no-pager
@@ -3914,6 +3914,12 @@ __git_main ()
 			--namespace=
 			--no-replace-objects
 			--help
+			-C
+			-P
+			-c
+			-h
+			-p
+			-v
 			"
 			;;
 		*)

base-commit: fd372d9b1a69a01a676398882bbe3840bf51fe72
-- 
gitgitgadget

Re: [PATCH v2] completion: complete "git -<TAB>" with short options

[Junio C Hamano]

"Wiktor Mis via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com> writes:

> From: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
>
> "git" itself has completion for long options and cmds, but not short ones
>
> Signed-off-by: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
> ---
>     Add completion for short options

Will queue with a slight update to the log message.  I am unsure if
we want to limit "-<TAB>" to one-letter options or if we want to
include the long ones (the latter is what v2 implements), but let's
see if others have strong opinions.

    completion: complete "git -<TAB>" with short options

    "git" itself has completion for its long options and subcommands,
    but not for its short options.  Add support for them.

    Signed-off-by: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
    Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

Thanks.

>  contrib/completion/git-completion.bash | 8 +++++++-
>  1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> index 73abea31b4..1705ca3323 100644
> --- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> +++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> @@ -3898,7 +3898,7 @@ __git_main ()
>  			;;
>  		esac
>  		case "$cur" in
> -		--*)
> +		-*)
>  			__gitcomp "
>  			--paginate
>  			--no-pager
> @@ -3914,6 +3914,12 @@ __git_main ()
>  			--namespace=
>  			--no-replace-objects
>  			--help
> +			-C
> +			-P
> +			-c
> +			-h
> +			-p
> +			-v
>  			"
>  			;;
>  		*)
>
> base-commit: fd372d9b1a69a01a676398882bbe3840bf51fe72

Re: [PATCH v2] completion: complete "git -<TAB>" with short options

[SZEDER Gábor]

On Wed, Nov 26, 2025 at 12:09:22PM -0800, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> "Wiktor Mis via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com> writes:
> 
> > From: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
> >
> > "git" itself has completion for long options and cmds, but not short ones
> >
> > Signed-off-by: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
> > ---
> >     Add completion for short options
> 
> Will queue with a slight update to the log message.  I am unsure if
> we want to limit "-<TAB>" to one-letter options or if we want to
> include the long ones (the latter is what v2 implements), but let's
> see if others have strong opinions.
> 
>     completion: complete "git -<TAB>" with short options
> 
>     "git" itself has completion for its long options and subcommands,
>     but not for its short options.  Add support for them.

It's not just git itself that doesn't have completion for its short
options, but the completion script in general doesn't complete the
short options for anything.  The reason being, I think, that it
doesn't save keystrokes and it doesn't really help discoverability
(Well, okay, strictly speaking it does help discoverability in the
sense that 'git -<TAB>' will show the existence of short options, but
since short options don't have self-explanatory names, the users won't
know what those short options are good for.  E.g. I just learned from
this patch that the main git command accepts -p and -P options, but I
have no idea what they are doing.)

So overall I'm somewhat negative on this patch and in general on the
direction it takes us, but if we do want to go in this direction, then
it will definitely need more justification than this.

>     Signed-off-by: Wiktor Mis <mwiktor023@gmail.com>
>     Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> >  contrib/completion/git-completion.bash | 8 +++++++-
> >  1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> >
> > diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> > index 73abea31b4..1705ca3323 100644
> > --- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> > +++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> > @@ -3898,7 +3898,7 @@ __git_main ()
> >  			;;
> >  		esac
> >  		case "$cur" in
> > -		--*)
> > +		-*)
> >  			__gitcomp "
> >  			--paginate
> >  			--no-pager
> > @@ -3914,6 +3914,12 @@ __git_main ()
> >  			--namespace=
> >  			--no-replace-objects
> >  			--help
> > +			-C
> > +			-P
> > +			-c
> > +			-h
> > +			-p
> > +			-v
> >  			"
> >  			;;
> >  		*)
> >
> > base-commit: fd372d9b1a69a01a676398882bbe3840bf51fe72

Re: [PATCH v2] completion: complete "git -<TAB>" with short options

[Junio C Hamano]

SZEDER Gábor <szeder.dev@gmail.com> writes:

> know what those short options are good for.  E.g. I just learned from
> this patch that the main git command accepts -p and -P options, but I
> have no idea what they are doing.)
>
> So overall I'm somewhat negative on this patch and in general on the
> direction it takes us, but if we do want to go in this direction, then
> it will definitely need more justification than this.

Ah, yes, I totally forgot earlier discussions we had long ago, e.g.,

  https://lore.kernel.org/git/20070205024704.GB12917@spearce.org/

Completing potential values for a single letter short option is one
thihng, but completing single letter short options themselves,
unless the completion script can offer a short-help somehow, e.g.,

    $ git -<TAB><TAB>
    -C (chdir there before running the command)
    -p (enable pager)
    ...

I agree that it would not be of much use.

Re: [PATCH v2] completion: complete "git -<TAB>" with short options

[Junio C Hamano]

Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> writes:

> SZEDER Gábor <szeder.dev@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> know what those short options are good for.  E.g. I just learned from
>> this patch that the main git command accepts -p and -P options, but I
>> have no idea what they are doing.)
>>
>> So overall I'm somewhat negative on this patch and in general on the
>> direction it takes us, but if we do want to go in this direction, then
>> it will definitely need more justification than this.
>
> Ah, yes, I totally forgot earlier discussions we had long ago, e.g.,
>
>   https://lore.kernel.org/git/20070205024704.GB12917@spearce.org/
>
> Completing potential values for a single letter short option is one
> thihng, but completing single letter short options themselves,
> unless the completion script can offer a short-help somehow, e.g.,
>
>     $ git -<TAB><TAB>
>     -C (chdir there before running the command)
>     -p (enable pager)
>     ...
>
> I agree that it would not be of much use.

We did not see any more comments on this thread during my vacation
;-) so let me declare that we will discard this topic.

Thanks everybody for particupating, and thanks Wiktor for attempting
to make Git a better system.