Subject: Re: git log --since to not stop after first old commit?

From: Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2022 11:19:03 -0700

Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]> writes:

> Miklos Vajna <[email-masked]> writes:
>
>> On Fri, Apr 01, 2022 at 10:51:34AM -0700, Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]> wrote:
>>> We could add a --since-as-filter= option or something, but then the
>>> user needs to be careful when to stop (and digging down to the root
>>> of the history, i.e. "never stop", may be an acceptable answer to
>>> some projects).
>>
>> I sent a patch to add such an option (which picks the "never stop"
>> behavior) on 1st, did you see that?
>>
>> If the idea is OK in principle, but the patch needs tweaking, please let
>> me know.
>
> As a single-shot change, "--since-as-filter" is certainly an easy to
> explain approach of least resistance.
>
> But when viewed from a higher level as a general design problem, I
> am unsure if it is a good direction to go in.
>
> Giving "--since" the "as-filter" variant sets a precedent, and
> closes the door for a better UI that we can extend more generally
> without having to add "--X-as-filter" for each and every conceivable
> "--X" that is a traversal stopper into a filtering kind.

If we pursue the possibility further, perhaps we may realize that
there isn't much room for us to add too many "traversal stoppers" in
the future, in which case giving "as-filter" to a very limited few
traversal stoppers may not be too bad.  I just do not think we have
explored that enough to decide that "--since-as-filter" is a good UI
(and it is not a good timing for me to spend brain cycles on the
issue).

Thanks.