Subject: Re: [PATCH v4 3/3] diff --no-index: support limiting by pathspec

From: Jacob Keller <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2025 11:27:54 -0700

On 6/3/2025 7:37 PM, Ben Knoble wrote:
> Actually, one comment :)
> 
>> Le 21 mai 2025 à 19:29, Jacob Keller <[email-masked]> a écrit :
>>
>> From: Jacob Keller <[email-masked]>
>>
>> The --no-index option of git-diff enables using the diff machinery from
>> git while operating outside of a repository. This mode of git diff is
>> able to compare directories and produce a diff of their contents.
>>
>> When operating git diff in a repository, git has the notion of
>> "pathspecs" which can specify which files to compare. In particular,
>> when using git to diff two trees, you might invoke:
>>
>> $ git diff-tree -r <treeish1> <treeish2>.
> 
> I do find it slightly confusing that this series and in particular this patch is all about git-diff(1), but the only example is about git-diff-tree(1). It’s not the best example to me, esp. since it doesn’t actually use the pathspec machinery (deferring that to prose only). But I get the gist, so not really an issue.
> 
> Rereading a bit, it seems this message goes to lengths to teach readers about pathspecs for git-diff here; perhaps we can simplify those parts and assume the reader is familiar enough with the details to understand the implications of « no-index mode doesn’t support pathspecs to limit comparison »?
> 
> Nit: Should the diff-tree command end with a period?
> 
@Junio,

Would you like a v5 with an updated commit message?

Thanks,
Jake