Karthik Nayak <karthik.188@xxxxxxxxx> writes: > On Wed, Aug 12, 2015 at 10:43 PM, Junio C Hamano <gitster@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > ... >> %(objectname:abbrev=8). To specify two modification magics, each of >> which takes a number, the user would say e.g. >> >> %(objectname:abbrev=8,magic=4) >> ... >> And that would be following %(align:8). Both 'left' (implied >> default) and '8' are instructing 'align' what to do. > > Will follow this. :) I think the most generic way to think about this is to consider that the most fully spelled form of align would be this: %(align:width=12,position=left) And another rule you would have is that the user is allowed to omit "<attr>=" when it is obvious from its value. For "align", 'left' can only possibly be the value for 'position' and similarly '12' for 'width'. That is why the "objectname" example says "abbrev=8", and not "abbrev,8", because from the value of "8" without the attribute name, you cannot tell if the user meant abbrev=8 or magic=8. That '"<attr>=" can be omitted' rule makes both of these valid constructs: %(align:12,left) %(align:left,12) Moreover, if you make "left aligned" the default behaviour when position is not specified, you can make %(align:12) the shortest way to spell the same thing. Note that I said "if you make"; I do not offhand know if all the internal callers of this mechanism your updates to "branch -l" and "tag -l" would want left aligned output (if so, that is one argument to favor making left-aligned the implicit default; if not, it may be better to require the position always specified). -- 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