Subject: Re: [PATCH v3 3/7] sequencer: use rebase_path_message()

From: Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:02:54 -0700

Phillip Wood <[email-masked]> writes:

> On 01/08/2023 18:23, Junio C Hamano wrote:
>> "Phillip Wood via GitGitGadget" <[email-masked]> writes:
>> 
>>> From: Phillip Wood <[email-masked]>
>>>
>>> Rather than constructing the path in a struct strbuf use the ready
>>> made function to get the path name instead. This was the last
>>> remaining use of the strbuf so remove it as well.
>> The same comment about "get_dir() vs hardcoded rebase-merge" applies
>> here, I think.  And the same (1) assertion to ensure that we are in
>> "rebase -i" when make_patch() is called should give us a sufficient
>> safety valve,
>
> Agreed
>
>> or (2) instead of hardcoding rebase_path_message(),
>> call it sequencer_path_message() and switch at runtime behaving the
>> same way as get_dir(opts) based version, would also work.
>
> I think that would me misleading because cherry-pick/revert do not
> create that file - they rely on "git commit" reading .git/MERGE_MSG

Fair enough.  

Abusing the MERGE_MSG this way probably came from the "if 'commit'
picks up whatever is left inside MERGE_MSG when it is run, reusing
it for this operation (even though it clearly is not a 'merge')
would be a way to do with the least effort, even if it does not make
sense for those who will be reading the code 3 years from now on"
kind of hackery.  The file probably outgrew its name and we might
want to rename it to a more appropriate name (it is "we gave control
back to the user to help us resolve a mess in the working tree, and
here is the message to be used when the user is done"; the "mess" no
longer is limited to conflicts created during a "merge").

But it would be a major headache if end-user tools are relying on
it, so it is not likely to happen anytime soon.

So, moving to hardcoded "rebase-merge", as long as we make sure
make_patch() will only callable by "rebase -i" (and not something
like "cherry-pick -i" people will wish to add in the future), I am
fine with such a design.

Thanks.