4 ms·

It seems odd that `scalar` is not a sub-command of `git`. Does anybody know the reason behind this?

yamtaddle 4y ago
On top of that, it reads like scalar is essentially just a different default config profile. This approach feels... wrong.
chrsig 4y ago
it seems like it was made at microsoft, using .net[0] I agree it seems quite strange that it's not a git subcommand now that it seems like it's been incorporated into the git core release. I'm not exactly sure of it's utility...seems kinda heavy weight to just be setting recommended configurations? I guess it does some background automation for fetching and gc? [0] https://devblogs.microsoft.com/devops/introducing-scalar/ https://devblogs.microsoft.com/devops/introducing-scalar/
- iudqnolq 4y ago
  > I'm not exactly sure of it's utility...seems kinda heavy weight to just be setting recommended configurations? According to the email linked in your sibling, that's exactly why it's a separate command in /contrib and not integrated into git proper.
  - jsmith45 4y ago
    Since that original patch, the codebase was moved out of contrib and is now scalar.c alongside the other git source files. Remaining a seperate command rather than a subcommand is motivated by command line backwards compatibility for users of the c version from microsoft/git, but also for users of the older C# version. If they did git-scalar then they would still need a contrib subfolder command wrapper executable (not just a script, as many users are on windows and rely on it being an executable, not just a bash script).
daxelrod 4y ago
This confused me too. The rationale seems to be explained in more detail in https://www.spinics.net/lists/git/msg421817.html https://www.spinics.net/lists/git/msg421817.html
- joeyh 4y ago
  That explains why it was added to git/contrib. It seems to have moved out of contrib with essentially no discussion. The original commit adding it to contrib anticipated moving parts of it into git proper: For example, we previously discussed the idea of a "git big-clone" that does much of what "scalar clone" is doing. This patch series is a step to make such functionality exist in the Git code base while we simmer on what such a "git big-clone" command-line interface would look like. This is one of many possible ways to do this. Creating a 'git big-clone' could lock Git into backwards compatibility concerns so it is necessary to approach such an endeavor with caution. Seems like now it is locked into backwards compatability concerns around including the scalar command.
  - daxelrod 4y ago
    Thank you, I had missed that it was moved out of contrib.

On top of that, it reads like scalar is essentially just a different default config profile. This approach feels... wrong.

chrsig 4y ago

it seems like it was made at microsoft, using .net[0] I agree it seems quite strange that it's not a git subcommand now that it seems like it's been incorporated into the git core release. I'm not exactly sure of it's utility...seems kinda heavy weight to just be setting recommended configurations? I guess it does some background automation for fetching and gc? [0] https://devblogs.microsoft.com/devops/introducing-scalar/ https://devblogs.microsoft.com/devops/introducing-scalar/

iudqnolq 4y ago
> I'm not exactly sure of it's utility...seems kinda heavy weight to just be setting recommended configurations? According to the email linked in your sibling, that's exactly why it's a separate command in /contrib and not integrated into git proper.
- jsmith45 4y ago
  Since that original patch, the codebase was moved out of contrib and is now scalar.c alongside the other git source files. Remaining a seperate command rather than a subcommand is motivated by command line backwards compatibility for users of the c version from microsoft/git, but also for users of the older C# version. If they did git-scalar then they would still need a contrib subfolder command wrapper executable (not just a script, as many users are on windows and rely on it being an executable, not just a bash script).

daxelrod 4y ago

This confused me too. The rationale seems to be explained in more detail in https://www.spinics.net/lists/git/msg421817.html https://www.spinics.net/lists/git/msg421817.html

joeyh 4y ago
That explains why it was added to git/contrib. It seems to have moved out of contrib with essentially no discussion. The original commit adding it to contrib anticipated moving parts of it into git proper: For example, we previously discussed the idea of a "git big-clone" that does much of what "scalar clone" is doing. This patch series is a step to make such functionality exist in the Git code base while we simmer on what such a "git big-clone" command-line interface would look like. This is one of many possible ways to do this. Creating a 'git big-clone' could lock Git into backwards compatibility concerns so it is necessary to approach such an endeavor with caution. Seems like now it is locked into backwards compatability concerns around including the scalar command.
- daxelrod 4y ago
  Thank you, I had missed that it was moved out of contrib.