Is this a good commit message? • Hacker News Board

Re: Is this a good commit message?

#31

Post by skyebook » Fri, Dec 07, 2012, 12:22 AM UTC

cjensen wrote: post #28

No. People don't read commit logs for fun. They read them to try to find the source of a bug or who changed a line last and what they thought they were doing. This breaks that functionality in two ways: 1. Recognizing the joke takes attention, which therefore means I have less attention available to track the thing I'm really hunting. The thing I'm hunting may take a lot of "state info" in my brain so I need that con…

Couldn't agree more. I'll also be the first to admit though that some commit messages I've sent off after particularly infuriating bugs have had language that my mother would slap me for (and not very helpful, to boot). We're only human

Re: Is this a good commit message?

#32

Post by sophacles » Fri, Dec 07, 2012, 12:27 AM UTC

cjensen wrote: post #28

No. People don't read commit logs for fun. They read them to try to find the source of a bug or who changed a line last and what they thought they were doing. This breaks that functionality in two ways: 1. Recognizing the joke takes attention, which therefore means I have less attention available to track the thing I'm really hunting. The thing I'm hunting may take a lot of "state info" in my brain so I need that con…

Sometime's I feel like I'm the only person who understands code. Seriously, I don't look at comments, api docs, or commit logs unless I am unsure what the diff or code is telling me. I mean, joking with something this trivial is not really a big deal. There is no hidden motivation to change it, no hard to follow changes, no clever bits of code that are subtly altered. An output string is now without a typo. Big whoop.

The only complaint that makes sense is "it's not that funny".

Re: Is this a good commit message?

#33

Post by fleitz » Fri, Dec 07, 2012, 12:29 AM UTC

Sure, it's great! It's somewhat funny and really long.

It will take up lots of time for those dumb enough to try to find bugs by reading commit messages rather than use a the proper tool for the job which would of course be: git/svn bisect.

Re: Is this a good commit message?

#34

Post by saraid216 » Fri, Dec 07, 2012, 12:31 AM UTC

chc wrote: post #30

mdpye wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In terms of git features, I think I value correcting embarrassing typos in my commit messages higher than fixing typos in my code! They're a lot more frequent due to the fast and loose typing, and lack of a compiler on my back.

If you're working in PHP, you should be used to fast and loose typing (also the lack of a compiler unless you work at Facebook).

That was a terrible pun and you are a bad person and should feel bad.

Re: Is this a good commit message?

#35

Post by saraid216 » Fri, Dec 07, 2012, 12:32 AM UTC

maw wrote: post #3

asdfaoeu wrote: post #2

What is this the anti-fun brigade?

Sounds like a reasonable question, actually: is it a good commit message? I'm really not sure, but am inclined towards yes.

It's a terrible commit message, but for the case it was fixing, seriously, why care? If I found it in something I was working on, I'd laugh and move on with my life.

Re: Is this a good commit message?

#36

Post by tobych » Fri, Dec 07, 2012, 12:33 AM UTC

FuzzyDunlop wrote: post #27

zbowling wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WIP

"Commit that shit", after watching the wire.

various changes (not tested)

Re: Is this a good commit message?

#37

Post by mixedbit » Fri, Dec 07, 2012, 12:38 AM UTC

This indeed is an issue of extreme importance. I'm afraid only Linus Torvalds is qualified to pass a judgement on the quality of this commit message. Fortunately, he isn't quick to judge: https://github.com/torvalds/linux/pull/17#issuecomment-56599... ;)

Re: Is this a good commit message?

#38

Post by georgeorwell » Fri, Dec 07, 2012, 12:45 AM UTC

tobych wrote: post #36

FuzzyDunlop wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Commit that shit", after watching the wire.

various changes (not tested)

hi

Re: Is this a good commit message?

#39

Post by tokipin » Fri, Dec 07, 2012, 12:55 AM UTC

whats wrong with 1

Re: Is this a good commit message?

#40

Post by qeorge » Fri, Dec 07, 2012, 12:59 AM UTC

sophacles wrote: post #32

cjensen wrote: post #28

No. People don't read commit logs for fun. They read them to try to find the source of a bug or who changed a line last and what they thought they were doing. This breaks that functionality in two ways: 1. Recognizing the joke takes attention, which therefore means I have less attention available to track the thing I'm really hunting. The thing I'm hunting may take a lot of "state info" in my brain so I need that con…

Sometime's I feel like I'm the only person who understands code. Seriously, I don't look at comments, api docs, or commit logs unless I am unsure what the diff or code is telling me. I mean, joking with something this trivial is not really a big deal. There is no hidden motivation to change it, no hard to follow changes, no clever bits of code that are subtly altered. An output string is now without a typo. Big whoop…

I hate this attitude. Really do. Its a cancer.

You're not "the only person who understands code", you're the person who refuses to write good documentation based on a misplaced sense of superiority.

Get over yourself.