From: Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com>
To: "Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason" <avarab@gmail.com>
Cc: Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>,
git@vger.kernel.org,
Philippe Blain <levraiphilippeblain@gmail.com>,
Denton Liu <liu.denton@gmail.com>,
Johannes Schindelin <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de>,
Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com>,
Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com>,
Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>,
Jonathan Tan <jonathantanmy@google.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v3 5/8] rebase: rename merge_base to branch_base
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2022 14:13:05 +0100 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <63c1636e-401d-89d3-9af3-69469dd4a3b0@dunelm.org.uk> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <221017.86pmeqk6yl.gmgdl@evledraar.gmail.com>
On 17/10/2022 12:27, Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason wrote:
>
> On Mon, Oct 17 2022, Phillip Wood wrote:
>
>> On 13/10/2022 20:16, Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason wrote:
>>> On Thu, Oct 13 2022, Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget wrote:
>>>
>>>> From: Phillip Wood <phillip.wood@dunelm.org.uk>
>>>>
>>>> merge_base is not a very descriptive name, the variable always holds
>>>> the merge-base of 'branch' and 'onto' which is commit at the base of
>>>> the branch being rebased so rename it to branch_base.
>>> To me "branch" means or has heavier implications of "named branch"
>>> than
>>> just a merge base, and this command is perfectly happy to work on
>>> commits disconnected from any named branch.
>>>> But more to the point, the rebase docs for --onto discuss a "merge
>>> base", so you'd read those, and then encounter this code talking about a
>>> "branch base", and wonder what the difference was...
>>
>> Aren't the docs saying the merge base is the base of the commits
>> (i.e. branch) being rebased? I don't think merge_base is a
>> particularly helpful name as it doesn't tell us what it is the merge
>> base of and branch_base was the best I could come up with. I see what
>> you mean in the detached HEAD case, but as the command also works with
>> named branches I hope it is fairly obvious what "branch_base" is in
>> the detached HEAD case.
>
> It *optionally* works with a <branch>, but doesn't require one. E.g. try
> this on git.git:
Maybe I wasn't clear, I was referring to the fact that if HEAD isn't
detached then it rebases the current branch not about the optional
<branch> argument. I also think that the docs are for users, they are
not a guide to the code. With this change if you search for merge_base
in builtin/rebase.c you still find the part where we calculate the merge
base. This commit was added in response to a review comment from Junio
on V1, as far as I know he is happy with it and at this stage I'm
disinclined to change it.
Best Wishes
Phillip
> git checkout origin/next
> touch f && git add f && git commit -m"file"
> git rebase --onto origin/master^{} HEAD~
>
> Here we transplant a commit on top of "next" to "master", without either
> of those *names* being involved, or their branches, just the
> corresponding OIDs/tips.
>
> That will go through e.g. can_fast_forward() which you're modifying
> here, and now populate a "branch_base" variable, instead of a
> "merge_base".
>
> I know that we conflate the meaning of "branch" somewhat, even in our
> own docs. E.g. we sometimes use "branch" and "named branch", but usually
> by "branch" we mean "named branch", and otherwise talk about a detached
> HEAD, <commit> or "tip".
>
> But in this case it's especially confusing in the post-image, because
> "git rebase --onto" explicitly uses an optional "<branch>" to
> distinguish the "named branch" case from the case where we're operating
> on detached a HEAD, or otherwise don't care about the "<branch>" (except
> as generic "restore us to where we were" behavior).
>
> So, if anything I'd think that we'd want something like this in various
> places in git-rebase.txt to make the distinction clearer:
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
> index 9cb8931c7ac..e4700a6e777 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
> @@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ DESCRIPTION
> -----------
> If `<branch>` is specified, `git rebase` will perform an automatic
> `git switch <branch>` before doing anything else. Otherwise
> -it remains on the current branch.
> +it remains on the current tip or named branch.
>
> If `<upstream>` is not specified, the upstream configured in
> `branch.<name>.remote` and `branch.<name>.merge` options will be used (see
>
> But your post-image seems to be to make this sort of thing explicitly
> more confusing, and e.g. these parts:
>
> @@ -206,8 +206,8 @@ OPTIONS
> --onto <newbase>::
> Starting point at which to create the new commits. If the
> `--onto` option is not specified, the starting point is
> - `<upstream>`. May be any valid commit, and not just an
> - existing branch name.
> + `<upstream>`. May be any valid commit, and not just an <-- this
> + existing branch name. <--- this
> +
> As a special case, you may use "A\...B" as a shortcut for the
> merge base of A and B if there is exactly one merge base. You can
>
> To sum up why I find this confusing: Reading this from the docs onwards
> I'd think (as is the case) that "<branch>" is optional. Then when I read
> the code I'd think a "branch_base" is something that *only* had to do
> with the "<branch>" case.
>
> But that's not the case, it's just a generic "merge base" in the same
> sense that "git merge-base" accepts all of these
>
> $ git merge-base origin/master origin/next
> d420dda0576340909c3faff364cfbd1485f70376
>
> (These two are equivalent, just demo'ing that we don't need the peel
> syntax):
>
> $ git merge-base $(git rev-parse origin/master) $(git rev-parse origin/next)
> d420dda0576340909c3faff364cfbd1485f70376
> $ git merge-base origin/master^{} origin/next^{}
> d420dda0576340909c3faff364cfbd1485f70376
>
> What *would* make things much clearer is e.g. calling a variable
> "branch_merge_base" *if* there is a case where that's a merge base only
> for named branches, but I don't know (and didn't look carefully enough)
> if you've got such a case or cases here. It just seems like a generic
> "merge-base".
>
>
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2022-10-17 13:13 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 82+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2022-08-15 15:11 [PATCH 0/5] rebase --keep-base: imply --reapply-cherry-picks and --no-fork-point Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-08-15 15:11 ` [PATCH 1/5] t3416: set $EDITOR in subshell Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-08-15 16:53 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-08-16 13:53 ` Phillip Wood
2022-08-24 22:28 ` Jonathan Tan
2022-08-30 15:12 ` Phillip Wood
2022-08-15 15:11 ` [PATCH 2/5] rebase: store orig_head as a commit Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-08-15 16:58 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-08-16 9:11 ` Johannes Schindelin
2022-08-18 7:01 ` Elijah Newren
2022-08-15 15:11 ` [PATCH 3/5] rebase: factor out merge_base calculation Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-08-15 17:22 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-08-16 9:15 ` Johannes Schindelin
2022-08-16 15:00 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-08-16 13:50 ` Phillip Wood
2022-08-16 15:03 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-08-18 7:11 ` Elijah Newren
2022-08-24 22:02 ` Jonathan Tan
2022-08-30 15:03 ` Phillip Wood
2022-08-15 15:11 ` [PATCH 4/5] rebase --keep-base: imply --reapply-cherry-picks Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-08-15 20:58 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-08-24 22:09 ` Jonathan Tan
2022-08-30 15:09 ` Phillip Wood
2022-08-25 0:29 ` Philippe Blain
2022-09-05 13:54 ` Phillip Wood
2022-08-15 15:11 ` [PATCH 5/5] rebase --keep-base: imply --no-fork-point Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-08-15 21:07 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-08-24 22:18 ` Jonathan Tan
2022-09-05 13:51 ` Phillip Wood
2022-08-16 9:23 ` [PATCH 0/5] rebase --keep-base: imply --reapply-cherry-picks and --no-fork-point Johannes Schindelin
2022-08-24 22:27 ` Jonathan Tan
2022-09-07 14:37 ` [PATCH v2 0/7] " Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-09-07 14:37 ` [PATCH v2 1/7] t3416: tighten two tests Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-09-07 18:12 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-09-07 14:37 ` [PATCH v2 2/7] t3416: set $EDITOR in subshell Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-09-07 18:12 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-09-07 14:37 ` [PATCH v2 3/7] rebase: store orig_head as a commit Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-09-07 18:12 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-09-08 13:19 ` Phillip Wood
2022-09-07 14:37 ` [PATCH v2 4/7] rebase: rename merge_base to branch_base Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-09-07 18:12 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-09-07 14:37 ` [PATCH v2 5/7] rebase: factor out branch_base calculation Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-09-07 18:12 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-09-07 14:37 ` [PATCH v2 6/7] rebase --keep-base: imply --reapply-cherry-picks Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-09-07 14:37 ` [PATCH v2 7/7] rebase --keep-base: imply --no-fork-point Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-09-08 2:44 ` Denton Liu
2022-09-08 13:21 ` Phillip Wood
2022-10-13 8:42 ` [PATCH v3 0/8] rebase --keep-base: imply --reapply-cherry-picks and --no-fork-point Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-13 8:42 ` [PATCH v3 1/8] t3416: tighten two tests Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-13 8:42 ` [PATCH v3 2/8] t3416: set $EDITOR in subshell Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-13 8:42 ` [PATCH v3 3/8] rebase: be stricter when reading state files containing oids Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-13 16:34 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-10-13 19:10 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2022-10-13 20:13 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-10-13 8:42 ` [PATCH v3 4/8] rebase: store orig_head as a commit Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-13 16:34 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-10-13 20:49 ` Phillip Wood
2022-10-13 23:25 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-10-13 8:42 ` [PATCH v3 5/8] rebase: rename merge_base to branch_base Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-13 19:16 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2022-10-17 9:49 ` Phillip Wood
2022-10-17 11:27 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2022-10-17 13:13 ` Phillip Wood [this message]
2022-10-17 16:19 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2022-10-19 15:35 ` Phillip Wood
2022-10-13 8:42 ` [PATCH v3 6/8] rebase: factor out branch_base calculation Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-13 19:21 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2022-10-17 9:39 ` Phillip Wood
2022-10-17 11:23 ` Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason
2022-10-13 8:42 ` [PATCH v3 7/8] rebase --keep-base: imply --reapply-cherry-picks Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-13 8:42 ` [PATCH v3 8/8] rebase --keep-base: imply --no-fork-point Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-17 13:17 ` [PATCH v4 0/8] rebase --keep-base: imply --reapply-cherry-picks and --no-fork-point Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-17 13:17 ` [PATCH v4 1/8] t3416: tighten two tests Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-17 13:17 ` [PATCH v4 2/8] t3416: set $EDITOR in subshell Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-17 13:17 ` [PATCH v4 3/8] rebase: be stricter when reading state files containing oids Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-17 18:51 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-10-19 15:32 ` Phillip Wood
2022-10-17 13:17 ` [PATCH v4 4/8] rebase: store orig_head as a commit Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-17 13:17 ` [PATCH v4 5/8] rebase: rename merge_base to branch_base Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-17 13:17 ` [PATCH v4 6/8] rebase: factor out branch_base calculation Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-17 13:17 ` [PATCH v4 7/8] rebase --keep-base: imply --reapply-cherry-picks Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
2022-10-17 13:17 ` [PATCH v4 8/8] rebase --keep-base: imply --no-fork-point Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget
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