Subject: [PATCH v6 7/9] whatchanged: hint about git-log(1) and aliasing

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2025 22:24:17 +0200

From: Kristoffer Haugsbakk <[email-masked]>

There have been quite a few `--i-still-use-this` user reports since Git
2.51.0 was released.[1][2]  And it doesn’t seem like they are reading
the man page about the git-log(1) equivalent.

Tell them what options to plug into git-log(1), either as a replacement
command or as an alias.[3]  That template produces almost the same
output[4] and is arguably a plug-in replacement.  Concretely, add
an optional `hint` argument so that we can use it right after the
initial error line.

Also mention the same concrete options in the documentation while we’re
at it.

[1]: E.g.,
    • https://lore.kernel.org/git/[email-masked]/
    • https://lore.kernel.org/git/[email-masked]/#t
    • https://lore.kernel.org/git/[email-masked]/#t
    • https://lore.kernel.org/git/[email-masked]/
[2]: The error message on 2.51.0 does tell them to report it, unconditionally
[3]: We allow aliasing deprecated builtins now for people who are very
    used to the command name or just like it a lot
[4]: You only get different outputs if you happen to have empty
     commits (no changes)[4]
[5]: https://lore.kernel.org/git/[email-masked]/

Signed-off-by: Kristoffer Haugsbakk <[email-masked]>
---

Notes (series):
    v5:
    
    Mention the aliasing hint in the commit message.
    
    v3:
    
    Add an alias hint now that that is possible.  Also prefix each hint-line
    with `hint: `.
    
    v2:
    
    Review found a whitespace error in the prev. patch version.  I found a
    broken footnote and wanted to expand on the last footnote.
    
    • Fix whitespace error (I should have used `ci/check-whitespace.sh
      v2.51.0`)
    • Add missing colon (:) to footnote
    • Expand on footnote; a sentence is enough to summarize the difference

 Documentation/git-whatchanged.adoc |  6 +++++-
 builtin/log.c                      |  8 +++++++-
 builtin/pack-redundant.c           |  2 +-
 git-compat-util.h                  |  2 +-
 usage.c                            | 14 ++++++++++----
 5 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/git-whatchanged.adoc b/Documentation/git-whatchanged.adoc
index d21484026fe..e71d2aa2d27 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-whatchanged.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-whatchanged.adoc
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ Shows commit logs and diff output each commit introduces.
 
 New users are encouraged to use linkgit:git-log[1] instead.  The
 `whatchanged` command is essentially the same as linkgit:git-log[1]
-but defaults to showing the raw format diff output and skipping merges.
+but defaults to showing the raw format diff output and skipping merges:
+
+----
+git log --raw --no-merges
+----
 
 The command is primarily kept for historical reasons; fingers of
 many people who learned Git long before `git log` was invented by
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index c2f8bbf8630..1d1e6e9130a 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -543,7 +543,13 @@ int cmd_whatchanged(int argc,
 	cmd_log_init(argc, argv, prefix, &rev, &opt, &cfg);
 
 	if (!cfg.i_still_use_this)
-		you_still_use_that("git whatchanged");
+		you_still_use_that("git whatchanged",
+				   _("\n"
+				     "hint: You can replace 'git whatchanged <opts>' with:\n"
+				     "hint:\tgit log <opts> --raw --no-merges\n"
+				     "hint: Or make an alias:\n"
+				     "hint:\tgit config set --global alias.whatchanged 'log --raw --no-merges'\n"
+				     "\n"));
 
 	if (!rev.diffopt.output_format)
 		rev.diffopt.output_format = DIFF_FORMAT_RAW;
diff --git a/builtin/pack-redundant.c b/builtin/pack-redundant.c
index fe81c293e3a..5d5ae4afa28 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-redundant.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-redundant.c
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@ int cmd_pack_redundant(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix UNUSED, s
 	}
 
 	if (!i_still_use_this)
-		you_still_use_that("git pack-redundant");
+		you_still_use_that("git pack-redundant", NULL);
 
 	if (load_all_packs)
 		load_all();
diff --git a/git-compat-util.h b/git-compat-util.h
index 9408f463e31..398e0fac4fa 100644
--- a/git-compat-util.h
+++ b/git-compat-util.h
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ void warning_errno(const char *err, ...) __attribute__((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
 void show_usage_if_asked(int ac, const char **av, const char *err);
 
-NORETURN void you_still_use_that(const char *command_name);
+NORETURN void you_still_use_that(const char *command_name, const char *hint);
 
 #ifndef NO_OPENSSL
 #ifdef APPLE_COMMON_CRYPTO
diff --git a/usage.c b/usage.c
index 35dc57eb07e..7545a616453 100644
--- a/usage.c
+++ b/usage.c
@@ -376,7 +376,8 @@ void bug_fl(const char *file, int line, const char *fmt, ...)
 	va_end(ap);
 }
 
-NORETURN void you_still_use_that(const char *command_name)
+
+NORETURN void you_still_use_that(const char *command_name, const char *hint)
 {
 	struct strbuf percent_encoded = STRBUF_INIT;
 	strbuf_add_percentencode(&percent_encoded,
@@ -384,8 +385,13 @@ NORETURN void you_still_use_that(const char *command_name)
 				 STRBUF_ENCODE_SLASH);
 
 	fprintf(stderr,
-		_("'%s' is nominated for removal.\n"
-		  "If you still use this command, here's what you can do:\n"
+		_("'%s' is nominated for removal.\n"), command_name);
+
+	if (hint)
+		fputs(hint, stderr);
+
+	fprintf(stderr,
+		_("If you still use this command, here's what you can do:\n"
 		  "\n"
 		  "- read https://git-scm.com/docs/BreakingChanges.html\n"
 		  "- check if anyone has discussed this on the mailing\n"
@@ -395,7 +401,7 @@ NORETURN void you_still_use_that(const char *command_name)
 		  "  know that you still use this command and were unable\n"
 		  "  to determine a suitable replacement\n"
 		  "\n"),
-		command_name, percent_encoded.buf);
+		percent_encoded.buf);
 	strbuf_release(&percent_encoded);
 	die(_("refusing to run without --i-still-use-this"));
 }
-- 
2.51.0.274.gdcb64e51a0f