Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@xxxxxxxxx> writes: >>> --list:: >>> - Activate the list mode. `git branch <pattern>` would try to create a branch, >>> + Activate the list mode. `git branch <branchname>` would try to create a branch, >>> use `git branch --list <pattern>` to list matching branches. >> >> This makes the description more correct. >> >> I am not sure if it makes that much sense to have that sentence here >> in the first place (after all, it is describing a behaviour of a >> mode that is *not* the list mode), but I guess that it may be a >> common mistake to forget to specify "-l" while asking for branches >> that match the pattern? If we were writing this today from scratch, >> I would perhaps write something entirely different, e.g. > > I'm just doing s/pattern/branchname/ on the existing documentation. If > you'd like to entirely reword this to make that unnecessary that > sounds good, but makes sense that you then submit that patch & just > drop this one, rather than me copy/pasting your proposal, sending that > as my own patch etc... That is sensible. I've already queued yours as-is a few hours ago, and the remainder of this message is in preparation for a follow-up patch that is a separate topic. >> --list:: >> List branches. With optional <pattern>... at the >> end of the command line, list only the branches that >> match any of the given patterns. Do not forget '-l' >> and say "git branch <pattern>", as it will instead >> try to create a new branch whose name is <pattern>, >> which is a common mistake. > > I like the old one better. It has 3 actual command examples you can > readily see. Having the _wrong_ example `git branch <branchname>` that is readily available for cutting and pasting is the worst of the three reasons why I think the current text is bad (the other two being "it does not even help in explaining the `--list` option" and "The argument to the other mode is not <pattern> but is <branchname>"). I can go without "Do not forget ..." and everything that follows, though, and if we are going to do so, then --list:: List branches. With optional <pattern>..., e.g. `git branch --list 'maint-*`, list only the branches that match the pattern(s). would be fine. I am not opposed to having an visually distinctive example--I just do not want to have one that is wrong without clearly marking it as such.