From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
To: "Carlos L." <00xc@protonmail.com>
Cc: Paul Eggert <eggert@cs.ucla.edu>,
"Carlos L. via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>,
git@vger.kernel.org, GNU grep developers <grep-devel@gnu.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] grep: add --max-count command line option
Date: Mon, 16 May 2022 08:36:09 -0700 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <xmqq1qwt5w2e.fsf@gitster.g> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <MHNbacVw7D6ZU3OJvgIqqRMu70HlgYIYQPduUEUnzWCqkGUsUGRLopGGWj-CbyjNilDcUfLB6elfSRgDOaob9cPpjeAf-I6xuMArQZ0y3io=@protonmail.com> (Carlos L.'s message of "Mon, 16 May 2022 08:38:05 +0000")
"Carlos L." <00xc@protonmail.com> writes:
>> Even if we want to handle the zero just like you do, I think this patch
>> needs a few tests. We should make sure to test the 0-case (whatever we
>> end up wanting it to behave like), and probably the "suppress an earlier
>> -m by giving --no-max-count" case. It also seems wise to set up some
>> test scenario where there are several files involved so that we can see
>> that we don't just print the first m matches globally, but that the
>> counter is really handled per file.
>
> This seems sound. Is there any documentation on how to write tests for git?
t/README and Documentation/MyFirstContribution would be two good
places to start.
>> What "git grep -m -1" should do? IIRC, OPT_INTEGER is for signed
>> integer but the new .max_count member, as well as the existing
>> "count" that is compared with it, are of "unsigned" type. Either
>> erroring out or treating it as unlimited is probably fine, but
>> whatever we do, we should document and have a test for it.
>
> I would favor treating it as an error. As mentioned above, using 0
> to describe "unlimited matches" (e.g. the default) is my
> preference, but I am willing to concede if someone can think of a
> good use for `-m 0`.
With Devil's advocate hat on.
"GNU grep has been doing so for the past 20 years and existing users
of the command expects '-m 0' to behave that way" is a good enough
reason, especially if '-m 0' is not the only possible way to say
"unlimited".
> Also, from the implementation side (although
> not as important) it looks better: if we allow negative values, we
> need to distinguish between -1 (unlimited) and -4 (display error
> to user, probably)
If we are going to document "you can pass a negative value to
explicitly say 'unlimited', which is a useful way to countermand
another `-m <num>` that appear earlier on the command line", then -1
and -4 would equally be 'unlimited' and there is no need to
distinguish anything.
Devil's advocate hat off.
I personally do not mind if "-m <non-positive>" means "unlimited",
as long as that is clearly documented and tested, but for long time
"GNU grep" users "-m 0" might appear surprising (not necessarily
because they would find that the "-m 0" that immediately fails is
useful, but because the behaviour is deliberately made different).
Thanks.
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2022-05-16 15:37 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 12+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2022-05-12 13:20 [PATCH] grep: add --max-count command line option Carlos L. via GitGitGadget
2022-05-14 18:16 ` Martin Ågren
2022-05-16 5:57 ` Junio C Hamano
2022-05-16 7:28 ` Paul Eggert
2022-05-16 8:38 ` Carlos L.
2022-05-16 15:36 ` Junio C Hamano [this message]
2022-05-17 5:53 ` Paul Eggert
2022-05-16 15:18 ` Junio C Hamano
-- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
2022-06-20 15:49 Carlos L. via GitGitGadget
2022-06-20 15:57 ` Paul Eggert
2022-06-20 16:25 ` Carlos L.
2022-06-20 16:32 ` Paul Eggert
Reply instructions:
You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:
* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
and reply-to-all from there: mbox
Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style
List information: http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
switches of git-send-email(1):
git send-email \
--in-reply-to=xmqq1qwt5w2e.fsf@gitster.g \
--to=gitster@pobox.com \
--cc=00xc@protonmail.com \
--cc=eggert@cs.ucla.edu \
--cc=git@vger.kernel.org \
--cc=gitgitgadget@gmail.com \
--cc=grep-devel@gnu.org \
/path/to/YOUR_REPLY
https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html
* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line
before the message body.
Code repositories for project(s) associated with this public inbox
https://80x24.org/mirrors/git.git
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox;
as well as URLs for read-only IMAP folder(s) and NNTP newsgroup(s).