[darcs-devel] [issue1303] proposal: make "darcs changes" interactive by default

[Max Battcher]

Zooko wrote:
> New submission from Zooko <zooko at zooko.com>:
> 
> I just noticed that nowadays I always add "-i" when I run "darcs  
> changes".  (In the olden days I always added " | less".)

I still tend to use successions of darcs changes --last=n with n gently 
increasing as I only discovered changes -i a few months back and it 
still hasn't settled into my usage patterns.

> It occurs to me that just as "darcs record" is by default interactive  
> and the user has to specify "--all" if he wants non-interactive batch  
> mode, so "darcs changes" could by default be interactive and "--all"  
> could indicate non-interactive batch mode.  I've also noticed that  
> when I'm instructing newbies in how to use darcs I often have to tell  
> them to add "-i" so that they can get what they want out of running  
> "darcs changes".

+1.

> This might break scripts which are running "darcs changes" an  
> expecting batch mode currently, but in the long run it would be  
> better to have more user friendliness and consistency.  Scripts can  
> insulate themselves against such a change by explicitly passing "-- 
> all" for invocations which require batch mode.

Any major script relying on darcs changes should probably be using 
--xml-output or --context anyway.

--
--Max Battcher--
http://worldmaker.net