[PATCH] backout: add example of backing out a merge changeset

[Pierre-Yves David]

Can we make sure a simple and clear statement about this issue is 
written somewhere so that we can just point it out next time the topic 
appears?

On 09/30/2015 10:32 PM, Matt Mackall wrote:
> On Thu, 2015-10-01 at 07:26 +0200, Mathias De Maré wrote:
>>> We don't want to even mention merge in the backout docs because people
>>> will try to do something it can't really do and compound the damage on
>>> their DAG.
>>>
>> That does make sense.
>> I was trying to think of a way to make it possible to clarify my use case
>> without risking people incorrectly using backout, but it seems like a
>> difficult exercise.
>> One possibility would be to change the note (not sure if the above is a
>> good choice).
>> Currently:
>>      Note:
>>        backout cannot be used to fix either an unwanted or incorrect merge.
>>
>> Alternative:
>>      Note:
>>        Backout cannot be used to fix either an unwanted or incorrect merge.
>> It
>>        can be used in the case where the changes on one side of a merge are
>>        wrong and need to be removed.
>
> I think you're being too optimistic about the distribution of user
> competence.
>
>>> It's pretty easy to just use revert to make a dummy merge, no?
>>>
>> Yes, that's true, but it's not quite as obvious as doing a backout.
>
> Neither backout nor revert have any help examples and could really use a
> few. And should probably "see also" each other.
>

-- 
Pierre-Yves David