On Sat, May 12, 2018 at 02:08:48PM +0900, Junio C Hamano wrote: > Taylor Blau <me@xxxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > > >> $ git grep -v second > >> $ git grep --not -e second > >> > >> may hit all lines in this message (except for the obvious two > >> lines), but we cannot say which column we found a hit. I am > >> wondering if it is too grave a sin to report "the whole line is what > >> satisfied the criteria given" and say the match lies at column #1. > > > > I think that is sensible. I previously was opposed to this because I > > thought that it would be too difficult to script around the 'sometimes > > we have columns but other times not' and 'I gave --column' but have to > > check whether or not they are really there. > > I am not sure if you really got what I meant. I am suggesting that > "git grep -v --column second" should report that the entire line has > hit for each and every line that does not have "second" on it, which > is a good answer and eliminate "sometimes there is column answer (or > answer to -o query) and sometimes not" at the same time. I re-read your note and understand more clearly now what your suggestion is. To ensure that we're in agreement, do you mean: 1. '--column -v' will _never_ give a column, but will never die(), either 2. '--column --[and | or | not]' will never give a column, but will also never die(), either. I think that _those_ semantics are sensible, and I apologize for misinterpreting your original note. > > In other terms: > > > > * not giving '--column' will _never_ give a column, > > * '--column --invert' will _always_ die(), and > > * '--column --[and | or | not]' will _never_ give a column. > > So this is completely opposite from what I would have expected. to > somebody who said "I think that is sensible." over there. Thanks, Taylor