From 8b8f7718b54ad648b0d05c3cfc2026d24d17d083 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: David Bremner Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2013 08:07:42 +2000 Subject: [PATCH] Re: [PATCH 0/6] notmuch cli config changes --- 8d/6c8e1af9cd9dbdbaac411b30300cf4b21e08e5 | 97 +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 97 insertions(+) create mode 100644 8d/6c8e1af9cd9dbdbaac411b30300cf4b21e08e5 diff --git a/8d/6c8e1af9cd9dbdbaac411b30300cf4b21e08e5 b/8d/6c8e1af9cd9dbdbaac411b30300cf4b21e08e5 new file mode 100644 index 000000000..69d686fbd --- /dev/null +++ b/8d/6c8e1af9cd9dbdbaac411b30300cf4b21e08e5 @@ -0,0 +1,97 @@ +Return-Path: +X-Original-To: notmuch@notmuchmail.org +Delivered-To: notmuch@notmuchmail.org +Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) + by olra.theworths.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7F7F4431FBC + for ; Thu, 7 Feb 2013 04:07:56 -0800 (PST) +X-Virus-Scanned: Debian amavisd-new at olra.theworths.org +X-Spam-Flag: NO +X-Spam-Score: 0 +X-Spam-Level: +X-Spam-Status: No, score=0 tagged_above=-999 required=5 tests=[none] + autolearn=disabled +Received: from olra.theworths.org ([127.0.0.1]) + by localhost (olra.theworths.org [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) + with ESMTP id oitJcxUJOkz8 for ; + Thu, 7 Feb 2013 04:07:55 -0800 (PST) +Received: from tesseract.cs.unb.ca (tesseract.cs.unb.ca [131.202.240.238]) + (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES128-SHA (128/128 bits)) + (No client certificate requested) + by olra.theworths.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id D2D36431FB6 + for ; Thu, 7 Feb 2013 04:07:55 -0800 (PST) +Received: from fctnnbsc30w-156034082078.dhcp-dynamic.fibreop.nb.bellaliant.net + ([156.34.82.78] helo=zancas.localnet) + by tesseract.cs.unb.ca with esmtpsa + (TLS1.2:DHE_RSA_AES_128_CBC_SHA1:128) (Exim 4.80) + (envelope-from ) + id 1U3QGa-0006sj-Bd; Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:07:48 -0400 +Received: from bremner by zancas.localnet with local (Exim 4.80) + (envelope-from ) + id 1U3QGU-0004VA-KE; Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:07:42 -0400 +From: David Bremner +To: Jameson Graef Rollins , + Jani Nikula , notmuch@notmuchmail.org +Subject: Re: [PATCH 0/6] notmuch cli config changes +In-Reply-To: <871ucts54t.fsf@servo.finestructure.net> +References: + <871ucts54t.fsf@servo.finestructure.net> +User-Agent: Notmuch/0.15.1 (http://notmuchmail.org) Emacs/24.2.1 + (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu) +Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:07:42 -0400 +Message-ID: <87y5f0fhtd.fsf@zancas.localnet> +MIME-Version: 1.0 +Content-Type: text/plain +X-Spam_bar: - +X-BeenThere: notmuch@notmuchmail.org +X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.13 +Precedence: list +List-Id: "Use and development of the notmuch mail system." + +List-Unsubscribe: , + +List-Archive: +List-Post: +List-Help: +List-Subscribe: , + +X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:07:56 -0000 + +Jameson Graef Rollins writes: + +> Is there some benefit to having a command line option for this that I +> don't see? + +In my experience the environment variable is somewhat dangerous to use +while testing. If left set to the wrong value, it can lead the loss of +tag information. + +> I see this as another instance of an option that regular users will +> rarely use, if ever. + +I don't see this as really comparable with a debugging option: +temporarily changing the configuration is something that can be useful +outside of debugging and testing. Although I'm fuzzy on the details now, +I remember telling someone to do this, I think to temporarily modify +what was ignored. + +> In general, I am a strong advocate of keeping the CLI slim. IMHO, +> adding more options makes the interface clunkier, and the manual harder +> to parse, and I'm against adding things that a normal user would likely +> never use. + +Well, it's are reasonable heuristic, although I might disagree in +general where the cutoff for "normal use" is, as I do in this case. + +> In retrospect, I should have had the same objection to the +> --format-version option, which I think could have just been an env var +> as well. + +I don't follow this part of your argument. I don't think replacing +command line arguments by environment variables makes the interface or +documentation simpler; at least if we document the environment variables +properly. Note that non-shell based invokation (which is often +desirable from e.g. scripting languages or Emacs) is typically, more +complicated using environment variables. It's also more complicated for +the user if they do have to use these options in a shell or a script. + +d -- 2.26.2