From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Linus Torvalds Subject: Re: Inconsistencies with git log Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2007 10:14:09 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: References: <9e4733910711071415i1729e277u6be19b72cd682a85@mail.gmail.com> <9e4733910711071503va92a653s25fd978989d5917d@mail.gmail.com> <9e4733910711071529m604f3b12v29b3a040074ea4e@mail.gmail.com> <9e4733910711071609t3e5412f1mf02e501b2d820bb3@mail.gmail.com> <9e4733910711090920m6b0b7704x7c5a3849215f385c@mail.gmail.com> <9e4733910711091004p6b5dd0c3x2c92148a51dd9927@mail.gmail.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=us-ascii Cc: Johannes Schindelin , Git Mailing List To: Jon Smirl X-From: git-owner@vger.kernel.org Fri Nov 09 19:15:00 2007 Return-path: Envelope-to: gcvg-git-2@gmane.org Received: from vger.kernel.org ([209.132.176.167]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1IqYNe-0001RT-3k for gcvg-git-2@gmane.org; Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:14:58 +0100 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1753194AbXKISOm (ORCPT ); Fri, 9 Nov 2007 13:14:42 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1753410AbXKISOm (ORCPT ); Fri, 9 Nov 2007 13:14:42 -0500 Received: from smtp2.linux-foundation.org ([207.189.120.14]:54782 "EHLO smtp2.linux-foundation.org" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1753098AbXKISOm (ORCPT ); Fri, 9 Nov 2007 13:14:42 -0500 Received: from imap1.linux-foundation.org (imap1.linux-foundation.org [207.189.120.55]) by smtp2.linux-foundation.org (8.13.5.20060308/8.13.5/Debian-3ubuntu1.1) with ESMTP id lA9IE9YJ016209 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO); Fri, 9 Nov 2007 10:14:10 -0800 Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by imap1.linux-foundation.org (8.13.5.20060308/8.13.5/Debian-3ubuntu1.1) with ESMTP id lA9IE9QM025807; Fri, 9 Nov 2007 10:14:09 -0800 In-Reply-To: <9e4733910711091004p6b5dd0c3x2c92148a51dd9927@mail.gmail.com> X-Spam-Status: No, hits=-2.739 required=5 tests=AWL,BAYES_00 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.0-osdl_revision__1.47__ X-MIMEDefang-Filter: lf$Revision: 1.188 $ X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.53 on 207.189.120.14 Sender: git-owner@vger.kernel.org Precedence: bulk X-Mailing-List: git@vger.kernel.org Archived-At: On Fri, 9 Nov 2007, Jon Smirl wrote: > > Should "git log" and "git log path" have two different command names? Do you think that would really help? We actually have people complaining about the numebr of git commands already. And the thing is, "git log" is actually what things like "gitk" use to visualize the history, and all *those* commands want the two different modes too! You want a "global history" view in gitk, but you also want a "file limited view". So having two different commands is actually what people absolutely DO NOT want. On the same note: several git commands have totally different fundamental behaviour based on arguments - in ways even more different than "git log". At least "git log" always shows a log, the arguments just change what *part* of the log they show. For example, think about "git checkout": you can use it to check out individual files and directories, but you can obviously use it to switch branches (and create them!) too. That's actually a much bigger difference than the different modes of "git log", but considering how many people have complained about "many different commands", I think people seem to be happier with commands that do somewhat related things just depending on the kinds of arguments they get. Linus