(cc'd Ryan since the thread involving him was mentioned in the commit message) On Mon, Feb 8, 2021 at 9:02 AM ZheNing Hu via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > From: ZheNing Hu <adlternative@xxxxxxxxx> > > `git difftool` only allow us to select file to view in turn. > If there is a commit with many files and we exit in the search, > We will have to traverse list again to get the file diff which > we want to see. Therefore, here is a new method: every time before > we view the file diff, the current coordinates will be stored in > `GIT_DIR/difftool-last-position`, this file will be deleted after > successful traversing. But if an unexpected exit occurred midway or > users similar to using "ctrl+c" kill the process,and the user wants > to redo the same `git difftoool`, git will view the coordinates in > the save point, ask user if they want continue from the last position. > This will improve the user experience. > > Signed-off-by: ZheNing Hu <adlternative@xxxxxxxxx> > --- > git-difftool-helper.sh: learn a new way skip to save point > > git user may should travel the diff list to choice file diff to view, if > they exit in midway,they must travel it again. By saving current > coordinates in GIT_DIR/difftool-last-position method, provides a > possibility for this user-friendly solution. > > this patch's origin discuss is here: > https://lore.kernel.org/git/gOXOaoqn-E9A2ob7ykWEcDc7ZxmSwAjcP5CCFKfr5ejCOWZQ1lfAUZcbgYT9AyQCcDgJvCrnrtziXiels-Hxol3xlkGTVHk24SvAdaSUtKQ=@rtzoeller.com/ > > Thanks! > > Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-870%2Fadlternative%2Fdifftool_save_point-v2 > Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-870/adlternative/difftool_save_point-v2 > Pull-Request: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/870 > > Range-diff vs v1: > > 1: e77c3e33ba85 ! 1: 2468eaff322b git-difftool-helper.sh: learn a new way skip to save point > @@ Metadata > Author: ZheNing Hu <adlternative@xxxxxxxxx> > > ## Commit message ## > - git-difftool-helper.sh: learn a new way skip to save point > + git-difftool-helper.sh: learn a new way go back to last save point > > - `git difftool` only allow us to select file to view In turn. > - If there is a commit with many files and we exit in search, > + `git difftool` only allow us to select file to view in turn. > + If there is a commit with many files and we exit in the search, > We will have to traverse list again to get the file diff which > - we want to see.Therefore,here is a new method:every time before > - we view the file diff,the current coordinates will be stored in > - `GIT_DIR/difftool_skip_to`,this file will be deleted after > - successful traversing.But if an unexpected exit occurred midway, > - git will view the coordinates in the save point,ask user if they > - want continue from the last saved point.This will improve the > - user experience. > + we want to see. Therefore, here is a new method: every time before > + we view the file diff, the current coordinates will be stored in > + `GIT_DIR/difftool-last-position`, this file will be deleted after > + successful traversing. But if an unexpected exit occurred midway or > + users similar to using "ctrl+c" kill the process,and the user wants > + to redo the same `git difftoool`, git will view the coordinates in > + the save point, ask user if they want continue from the last position. > + This will improve the user experience. > > Signed-off-by: ZheNing Hu <adlternative@xxxxxxxxx> > > @@ git-difftool--helper.sh > # Copyright (c) 2009, 2010 David Aguilar > > TOOL_MODE=diff > -+GIT_DIFFTOOL_SKIP_TO_FILE="$GIT_DIR/difftool-skip-to" > ++GIT_DIFFTOOL_LAST_POSITION="$GIT_DIR/difftool-last-position" > ++DIFFTOOL_FIRST_NUM="1" > . git-mergetool--lib > > # difftool.prompt controls the default prompt/no-prompt behavior > @@ git-difftool--helper.sh: launch_merge_tool () { > # the user with the real $MERGED name before launching $merge_tool. > if should_prompt > then > -+ if test -f "$GIT_DIFFTOOL_SKIP_TO_FILE" > ++ if test -f "$GIT_DIFFTOOL_LAST_POSITION" > + then > -+ SAVE_POINT_NUM=$(cat "$GIT_DIFFTOOL_SKIP_TO_FILE") > -+ if test $SAVE_POINT_NUM -le $GIT_DIFF_PATH_TOTAL && > -+ test $SAVE_POINT_NUM -gt $GIT_DIFF_PATH_COUNTER > ++ if SAVE_POINT_NUM=$(cat 2>/dev/null "$GIT_DIFFTOOL_LAST_POSITION") && > ++ test "$SAVE_POINT_NUM" -le "$GIT_DIFF_PATH_TOTAL" && > ++ test "$SAVE_POINT_NUM" -gt "$GIT_DIFF_PATH_COUNTER" > + then > -+ # choice skip or not skip when check first file. > -+ if test $GIT_DIFF_PATH_COUNTER -eq "1" > ++ if test "$GIT_DIFF_PATH_COUNTER" -eq "$DIFFTOOL_FIRST_NUM" > + then > -+ printf "do you want to skip to last time difftool save point($SAVE_POINT_NUM) [Y/n]?" > ++ printf "Do you want to start from the possible last file you were viewing? [Y/n]?" > + read skip_ans || return > + if test "$skip_ans" = y > + then > @@ git-difftool--helper.sh: launch_merge_tool () { > + fi > + fi > + fi Similar to Junio's question about, "where does this possible come from?", I wasn't able to make out the behavior in the following situation. What about when the user switches branches or specifies a pathspec on the command-line or some other avenue that ends up with the number of files to diff being very different than the last difftool invocation? Will difftool, for example, skip over a smaller set of files on invocation 2 if invocation 1 involved many files and we exited out with a counter number that is very high? One thing that's not too good about having state files in .git/ is that they're global data and we also have to think about, "what if the user has multiple difftools running?" and those kind of complexities. I don't want this to seem like I'm trying to be dismissive of this feature which does seem like a useful thing in general, so I'll try to come up with an alternative interface that is slightly more general but a admittedly a little bit more cumbersome because it's not as automatic. What if instead of global state, maybe the user could specify a path that difftool could skip forward to? For example, we could teach difftool to resume by telling it where we last left off: git difftool --resume-from=foo/bar099.txt Then we don't need the global counter state file? Finally, I'm going to plug what I believe to be the right tool for the job here. Have you tried git cola?[1] Difftool is tightly integrated, and the UI is such that you can trivially choose any of the modified/staged files and difftool them by using the Ctrl-d hotkey. https://github.com/git-cola/git-cola/ Cola is purpose-built for driving difftool, and for interactive staging, so not mentioning it in the context of wanting a better UI for difftool would be a disservice to difftool users. -- David
