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git-cli.txt: clarify "options first and then args"
There are some commands permit the user whether to provide options first before args, or the reverse order. For example: git push --dry-run <remote> <ref> And: git push <remote> <ref> --dry-run Both of them is supported, but some commands do not, for instance: git ls-remote --heads <remote> And: git ls-remote <remote> --heads If <remote> only has one ref and it's name is "refs/heads/--heads", you will get the same result, otherwise will not.This is because the former in the second example will parse "--heads" as an "option" which means to limit to only "refs/heads" when listing the remote references, the latter treat "--heads" as an argument which means to filter the result list with the given pattern. Therefore, we want to specify a bit more in "gitcli.txt" about the way we recommend and help to resolve the ambiguity around some git command usage. The related disscussions locate at [1]. By the way, there are some issues with lowercase letters in the document, which have been modified together. [1] https://public-inbox.org/git/[email protected]/ Signed-off-by: Teng Long <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <[email protected]>
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Documentation/gitcli.txt

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@@ -19,6 +19,15 @@ Many commands take revisions (most often "commits", but sometimes
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"tree-ish", depending on the context and command) and paths as their
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arguments. Here are the rules:
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* Options come first and then args.
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A subcommand may take dashed options (which may take their own
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arguments, e.g. "--max-parents 2") and arguments. You SHOULD
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give dashed options first and then arguments. Some commands may
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accept dashed options after you have already gave non-option
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arguments (which may make the command ambiguous), but you should
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not rely on it (because eventually we may find a way to fix
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these ambiguity by enforcing the "options then args" rule).
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* Revisions come first and then paths.
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E.g. in `git diff v1.0 v2.0 arch/x86 include/asm-x86`,
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`v1.0` and `v2.0` are revisions and `arch/x86` and `include/asm-x86`
@@ -72,24 +81,24 @@ you will.
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Here are the rules regarding the "flags" that you should follow when you are
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scripting Git:
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* it's preferred to use the non-dashed form of Git commands, which means that
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* It's preferred to use the non-dashed form of Git commands, which means that
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you should prefer `git foo` to `git-foo`.
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* splitting short options to separate words (prefer `git foo -a -b`
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* Splitting short options to separate words (prefer `git foo -a -b`
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to `git foo -ab`, the latter may not even work).
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* when a command-line option takes an argument, use the 'stuck' form. In
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* When a command-line option takes an argument, use the 'stuck' form. In
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other words, write `git foo -oArg` instead of `git foo -o Arg` for short
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options, and `git foo --long-opt=Arg` instead of `git foo --long-opt Arg`
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for long options. An option that takes optional option-argument must be
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written in the 'stuck' form.
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* when you give a revision parameter to a command, make sure the parameter is
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* When you give a revision parameter to a command, make sure the parameter is
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not ambiguous with a name of a file in the work tree. E.g. do not write
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`git log -1 HEAD` but write `git log -1 HEAD --`; the former will not work
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if you happen to have a file called `HEAD` in the work tree.
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* many commands allow a long option `--option` to be abbreviated
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* Many commands allow a long option `--option` to be abbreviated
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only to their unique prefix (e.g. if there is no other option
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whose name begins with `opt`, you may be able to spell `--opt` to
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invoke the `--option` flag), but you should fully spell them out

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