There are some commands permit the user whether to provide options
first before args, or the reverse order. For example:
git push --dry-run <remote> <ref>
And:
git push <remote> <ref> --dry-run
Both of them is supported, but some commands do not, for instance:
git ls-remote --heads <remote>
And:
git ls-remote <remote> --heads
If <remote> only has one ref and it's name is "refs/heads/--heads", you
will get the same result, otherwise will not.This is because the former
in the second example will parse "--heads" as an "option" which means
to limit to only "refs/heads" when listing the remote references, the
latter treat "--heads" as an argument which means to filter the result
list with the given pattern.
Therefore, we want to specify a bit more in "gitcli.txt" about the way
we recommend and help to resolve the ambiguity around some git command
usage. The related disscussions locate at [1].
By the way, there are some issues with lowercase letters in the document,
which have been modified together.
[1] https://public-inbox.org/git/cover.1642129840.git.dyroneteng@xxxxxxxxx/
Signed-off-by: Teng Long <dyroneteng@xxxxxxxxx>
---
Documentation/gitcli.txt | 19 ++++++++++++++-----
1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/gitcli.txt b/Documentation/gitcli.txt
index 92e4ba6a2f..1819a5a185 100644
--- a/Documentation/gitcli.txt
+++ b/Documentation/gitcli.txt
@@ -19,6 +19,15 @@ Many commands take revisions (most often "commits", but sometimes
"tree-ish", depending on the context and command) and paths as their
arguments. Here are the rules:
+ * Options come first and then args.
+ A subcommand may take dashed options (which may take their own
+ arguments, e.g. "--max-parents 2") and arguments. You SHOULD
+ give dashed options first and then arguments. Some commands may
+ accept dashed options after you have already gave non-option
+ arguments (which may make the command ambiguous), but you should
+ not rely on it (because eventually we may find a way to fix
+ these ambiguity by enforcing the "options then args" rule).
+
* Revisions come first and then paths.
E.g. in `git diff v1.0 v2.0 arch/x86 include/asm-x86`,
`v1.0` and `v2.0` are revisions and `arch/x86` and `include/asm-x86`
@@ -72,24 +81,24 @@ you will.
Here are the rules regarding the "flags" that you should follow when you are
scripting Git:
- * it's preferred to use the non-dashed form of Git commands, which means that
+ * It's preferred to use the non-dashed form of Git commands, which means that
you should prefer `git foo` to `git-foo`.
- * splitting short options to separate words (prefer `git foo -a -b`
+ * Splitting short options to separate words (prefer `git foo -a -b`
to `git foo -ab`, the latter may not even work).
- * when a command-line option takes an argument, use the 'stuck' form. In
+ * When a command-line option takes an argument, use the 'stuck' form. In
other words, write `git foo -oArg` instead of `git foo -o Arg` for short
options, and `git foo --long-opt=Arg` instead of `git foo --long-opt Arg`
for long options. An option that takes optional option-argument must be
written in the 'stuck' form.
- * when you give a revision parameter to a command, make sure the parameter is
+ * When you give a revision parameter to a command, make sure the parameter is
not ambiguous with a name of a file in the work tree. E.g. do not write
`git log -1 HEAD` but write `git log -1 HEAD --`; the former will not work
if you happen to have a file called `HEAD` in the work tree.
- * many commands allow a long option `--option` to be abbreviated
+ * Many commands allow a long option `--option` to be abbreviated
only to their unique prefix (e.g. if there is no other option
whose name begins with `opt`, you may be able to spell `--opt` to
invoke the `--option` flag), but you should fully spell them out
--
2.34.1.391.g9ef3d6f133
