Re: Stash

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: Yuri Khan <yuri.v.khan@gmail.com>
> Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2015 17:56:47 +0600
> Cc: Mathias Megyei <mathias@mnet-mail.de>, Steinar Bang <sb@dod.no>, 
> 	Emacs developers <emacs-devel@gnu.org>
> 
> On Mon, Apr 6, 2015 at 5:30 PM, Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:
> 
> >> Is there a reason why you don't mention 'gitk' in GitQuickStartForEmacsDevs?
> >
> > I don't want to assume gitk is installed, nor that the Git commands
> > are invoked from a sufficiently capable terminal.
> 
> A git browser (especially a graphical, point-and-clicky one) is an
> immensely useful tool in understanding and learning Git. And gitk is
> the one that has the best chance of being installed, or easiest to
> install. (Most other git browsers are platform-specific.)
> 
> Alternatively, Emacs could include a git browser. (Magit already does;
> I don’t know about vc.)

All true, but most of that needs user actions to actually show the
diffs; by default they only show the SHA1 values and the DAG, which is
not what is needed here.  And even the DAG itself might be confusing
at times to someone uninitiated.

The instructions, by contrast, aim at being as clear and unequivocal
as possible.  There's nothing more irritating than a recipe that
doesn't work or cannot be followed or understood, particularly when
you are trying to get yourself out of some trouble you don't fully
understand.

> A git browser is most useful if directed to show not only the current
> branch but also the associated remote tracking branch, e.g. (assuming
> a POSIX shell):
> 
> $ gitk HEAD $(git rev-parse --symbolic-full-name @{u}) &

Yes, but all this is almost useless to someone who doesn't yet know
what a "remote tracking branch" is.  It will take time for the
audience of GitQuickStartForEmacsDevs to get there.