Subject: [RFC 1/3] sequencer: Signal failed ff as an aborted, not a conflicted merge

From: Fabian Ruch <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 27 May 2014 00:19:16 +0200

`do_pick_commit` handles three situations if it is not fast-forwarding.
In order for `do_pick_commit` to identify the situation, it examines the
return value of the selected merge command.

1. return value 0 stands for a clean merge
2. 1 is passed in case of a failed merge due to conflict
3. any other return value means that the merge did not even start

So far, the sequencer returns 1 in case of a failed fast-forward, which
would mean "failed merge due to conflict". However, a fast-forward
either starts and succeeds or does not start at all. In particular, it
cannot fail in between like a merge with a dirty index due to conflicts.

In order to signal the three possible situations (not only success and
failure to complete) after a pick through porcelain commands such as
`cherry-pick`, exit with a return value that is neither 0 nor 1. -1 was
chosen in line with the other situations in which the sequencer
encounters an error.

Signed-off-by: Fabian Ruch <[email-masked]>
---
 sequencer.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 90cac7b..97cecca 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ static int fast_forward_to(const unsigned char *to, const unsigned char *from,
 
 	read_cache();
 	if (checkout_fast_forward(from, to, 1))
-		exit(1); /* the callee should have complained already */
+		exit(-1); /* the callee should have complained already */
 	ref_lock = lock_any_ref_for_update("HEAD", unborn ? null_sha1 : from,
 					   0, NULL);
 	strbuf_addf(&sb, "%s: fast-forward", action_name(opts));
-- 
1.9.3