git-rev-list.txt: Clarify the use of multiple revision arguments

If one thinks of a revision as the set of commits which can be reached
from the rev, and of ^rev as the complement, then multiple arguments to
git rev-list can be neither understood as the intersection nor the union
of the individual sets.

But set language is the natural as well as logical language in which to
phrase this. So, add a paragraph which explains multiple arguments using
set language.

Suggested-by: Michael J Gruber <git@drmicha.warpmail.net>

Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
This commit is contained in:
Junio C Hamano 2009-08-05 09:42:33 -07:00
parent 8918f5cf96
commit 1a3d834f06

View file

@ -51,20 +51,26 @@ SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION DESCRIPTION
----------- -----------
Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order starting at the List commits that are reachable by following the `parent` links from the
given commit(s), taking ancestry relationship into account. This is given commit(s), but exclude commits that are reachable from the one(s)
useful to produce human-readable log output. given with a '{caret}' in front of them. The output is given in reverse
chronological order by default.
Commits which are stated with a preceding '{caret}' cause listing to You can think of this as a set operation. Commits given on the command
stop at that point. Their parents are implied. Thus the following line form a set of commits that are reachable from any of them, and then
command: commits reachable from any of the ones given with '{caret}' in front are
subtracted from that set. The remaining commits are what comes out in the
command's output. Various other options and paths parameters can be used
to further limit the result.
Thus, the following command:
----------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
$ git rev-list foo bar ^baz $ git rev-list foo bar ^baz
----------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
means "list all the commits which are included in 'foo' and 'bar', but means "list all the commits which are reachable from 'foo' or 'bar', but
not in 'baz'". not from 'baz'".
A special notation "'<commit1>'..'<commit2>'" can be used as a A special notation "'<commit1>'..'<commit2>'" can be used as a
short-hand for "{caret}'<commit1>' '<commit2>'". For example, either of short-hand for "{caret}'<commit1>' '<commit2>'". For example, either of