Using TextEdit as default git editor on a Mac

As a default editor for git you want something that opens up fast and is fairly simple to use. On my Mac I believe this is the system default editor – TextEdit – which comes with the system. To make it the default editor for git, issue the following command in the shell:

git config --global core.editor “open -e -W -n”
open
The command opens a file on a Mac(or a directory or URL), just as if you had double-clicked the file’s icon.
-e
Causes the file to be opened with /Applications/TextEdit
-W
Causes open to wait until the applications it opens (or that were already open) have excited.
-n
Open a new instance of the application(s) even if one is already running.
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