Re: [PATCH] git-tag man: when to use lightweight or annotated tags

[Daniele Segato <daniele.segato@gmail.com>]

On 07/25/2013 04:47 PM, Marc Branchaud wrote:
> On 13-07-25 09:45 AM, Daniele Segato wrote:
>>  From d0f4eca712e7cf74286bfab306763a8a571b6c95 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
>> From: Daniele Segato <daniele.segato@gmail.com>
>> Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 15:33:18 +0200
>> Subject: [PATCH] git-tag man: when to use lightweight or annotated tags
>>
>> stress the difference between the two with suggestion on when the user
>> should use one in place of the other.
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Daniele Segato <daniele.segato@gmail.com>
>> ---
>>   Documentation/git-tag.txt |    4 ++++
>>   1 file changed, 4 insertions(+)
>>
>> diff --git a/Documentation/git-tag.txt b/Documentation/git-tag.txt
>> index 22894cb..48f5504 100644
>> --- a/Documentation/git-tag.txt
>> +++ b/Documentation/git-tag.txt
>> @@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ are absent, `-a` is implied.
>>   Otherwise just a tag reference for the SHA-1 object name of the commit
>> object is
>>   created (i.e. a lightweight tag).
>>
>> +Annotated and Lightweight tags are not the same thing for git and you shouldn't
>> +mix them up. Annotated tags are meant for release while lightweight tags are
>> +meant to tag random commits.
>
> Unfortunately the word "annotated" hasn't yet been introduced at this point,
> so the overall effect is even more confusing.

Actually annotated tag has already be introduced but they haven't been 
named "Annotated" yet; what about changing the above paragraph like this:

  If one of `-a`, `-s`, or `-u <key-id>` is passed, the command
-creates a 'tag' object, and requires a tag message.  Unless
+creates a 'tag' object called 'Annotated tag', and requires a tag 
message. Unless
  `-m <msg>` or `-F <file>` is given, an editor is started for the user 
to type
  in the tag message.




> Also, I find the "release" vs.
> "random" distinction a bit misleading since both types of tag can refer to
> any object.

I can change it into something like these (using your suggestion below):
"Annotated tags are meant for release while lightweight tags are meant 
for private or temporary object labels."

What do you think?

>  I also liked the direction of your earlier "command only
> consider annotated tags by default" phrasing.

I also think it would be helpful. We can write this after the previous 
sentence:
"Most git commands only consider Annotated tags by default."



> After reading the Tagging section of the Git Book[1] I came up with the
> following.  Feel free to modify it as you like, or ignore it completely:
>
> Tag objects (created with -a) are called annotated tags.  While a lightweight
> tag is simply a name for an object (usually a commit object), an annotated
> tag contains the creation date, the tagger's name and e-mail, a tagging
> message, and can be signed and verified with GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG).  Most
> git commands only consider annotated tags by default.  In general lightweight
> tags are for private or temporary object labels, while annotated tags are
> meant to be permanent and/or published.  For example, an annotated tag is
> normally used to identify a release point.
>
> 		M.
>
> [1] http://git-scm.com/book/en/Git-Basics-Tagging
>

I took some inspiration but I think writing about what a tag object 
contains in the documentation is not useful at that point in the doc. 
What's important there is that user do understand the difference between 
Annotated and Lightweight tags.

I'll follow with a patch containing these modification I'm talking 
about, should be easier to comment.

Regards,
Daniele