Re: [PATCH v2 1/2] format-patch: Add a config option format.from to set the default for --from

[Josh Triplett <josh@joshtriplett.org>]

On Mon, Aug 08, 2016 at 12:54:41AM -0400, Jeff King wrote:
> On Sun, Aug 07, 2016 at 06:42:07PM -1000, Josh Triplett wrote:
> 
> > > Drop trailing comma after the last enum definition (trailing comma
> > > after the last element in an array is OK, though).
> > 
> > I realize this code didn't get included in the final version, but for
> > future reference, what's the rationale for this?  I tend to include a
> > final comma in cases like these (and likewise for initializers) to avoid
> > needing to change the last line when introducing a new element, reducing
> > noise in diffs.  I hadn't seen anything in any of the coding style
> > documentation talking about trailing commas (either pro or con).
> 
> Portability; some compilers choke on it. C89 allows trailing commas in
> array initialization but _not_ in enums. Most compilers allow it anyway
> (though gcc complains with -Wpedantic).
> 
> This definitely broke the build on real systems early in Git's history
> (I think the AIX compiler was one culprit),

Thanks for the explanation.  I assume such compilers also don't accept
C99?

> but at this point it's
> possible that all of those compilers have died off. It would be nice if
> we could start using it (for exactly the reasons you give).
> Unfortunately there's not a good way to know except "introduce it and
> see if people complain".

Fair enough.  I'll let someone else be the test case for that. :)

Perhaps the next Git user survey could ask "what compiler (including
version) do you use to compile Git", and perhaps "does it accept the
following code:"?

- Josh Triplett