Jacob Abel <jacobabel@xxxxxxxxxx> writes:
>> git worktree add --orphan -b topic main
>> git worktree add --orphan -B topic main
>
> I am hesitant to add these as they break away from the syntax used in
> `git switch` and `git checkout`.
Not that I care too deeply, but doesn't it introduce end-user
confusion if we try to be compatible with "git checkout --orphan
<branch>", while allowing this to be compatible with the default
choice of the branch name done by "git worktree add"? "--orphan" in
"git checkout" behaves similar to "-b|-B" in that it always wants a
name, but "git worktree add" wants to make it optional.
By the way "--orphan" in checkout|switch wants to take a name for
itself, e.g.
git checkout --orphan $name [$commit]
git checkout -b $name [$commit]
git checkout -B $name [$commit]
so it is impossible to force their "--orphan" to rename an existing
branch, which is probalby a design mistake we may want to fix.
In any case, as I said, I do not care too deeply which way you guys
decide to go, because I think the whole "orphan" UI is a design
mistake that instills a broken mental model to its users [*].
But let's wait a bit more to see which among
(1) git worktree add [[--orphan] -b $branch] $path
This allows --orphan to act as a modifier to existing -b,
(2) git worktree add [(--orphan|-b) $branch] $path
This allows --orphan to be another mode of -b, or
(3) git worktree add [--orphan [$branch]|(-b $branch)] $path
This allows --orphan to default to $(basename $path)
people prefer.
[Footnote]
* I am not saying that it is wrong or useless to keep an unrelated
history, especially one that records trees that have no relevance
to the main history like created with "switch --orphan", in the
same repository. Allowing "git switch --orphan" to create such a
separate history in the same repository blurs the distinction. It
would help newbies to form the right mental model if they start a
separate repository that the separate history originates in, and
pull from it to bootstrap the unrelated history in the local
repository.
