On 01/29/2012 07:42 AM, Junio C Hamano wrote: > Michael Haggerty <mhagger@xxxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > >> On 01/28/2012 08:27 AM, Junio C Hamano wrote: >>> >>> We could error it out (i.e. you cannot name a thing that does not yet >>> exist), or we could consider it is a convenience feature that you can >>> prepare a description even before you create one, or we could even tweak >>> it more like "-t $name" that tries to work both on existing one (without >>> changing any base) or non-existing one, creating it while at it. The last >>> approach historically is the most error prone (we had numerous bugs in the >>> create_branch() helper after it started allowing an existing branch when >>> updating the "track" information) and I would rather not go that route if >>> we can avoid it. >>> >>> Honestly speaking, I haven't formed an opinion. >> >> I vote for an error. Otherwise a typo in the branch name would lead to >> the description's apparent disappearance into Nirvana. An error would, >> for example, have made it clear to the OP what was happening. >> >> A more useful option might be >> >> git branch --with-description <branchname> [<start-point>] >> >> i.e., that a branch's description can be set at the same time as the >> branch is created. > > So you are saying either option 1 or 3 is preferrable, while I was saying > I would rather avoid 3 if we could avoid it. Is that the short version? Not quite. I agree that "--add-description" should fail if the branch already exists. But I was suggesting that there be a new *different* option that can be used when creating a branch. "--with-description" is probably not a great name, but I think it is a good idea that it be spelled differently than "--add-description". Perhaps even "--message", even though the abbreviation "-m" is precluded by the existing "-m" option. Michael -- Michael Haggerty mhagger@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://softwareswirl.blogspot.com/ -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe git" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html