cmd-ref: document new gc behavior (#1023)

* cmd-ref: document new gc behavior

* mention about -w as scope specifier for garbage collection

* apply some corrections to the latest gc doc

* Update content/docs/command-reference/gc.md

Co-Authored-By: Jorge Orpinel <[email protected]>

* Update content/docs/command-reference/gc.md

Co-Authored-By: Jorge Orpinel <[email protected]>

* Update content/docs/command-reference/gc.md

Co-Authored-By: Jorge Orpinel <[email protected]>

* Update content/docs/command-reference/gc.md

Co-Authored-By: Jorge Orpinel <[email protected]>

* address reviews feedback, always use need, mention use case for all-commits

Co-authored-by: Ivan Shcheklein <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: Jorge Orpinel <[email protected]>

content/docs/command-reference/gc.md

@@ -1,60 +1,80 @@
 # gc
 
-Remove unused objects from <abbr>cache</abbr> or remote storage.
+Remove unused files and directories from <abbr>cache</abbr> or
+[remote storage](/doc/command-reference/remote).
 
 ## Synopsis
 
 ```usage
-usage: dvc gc [-h] [-q | -v] [-a] [-T] [-c] [-r <name>]
+usage: dvc gc [-h] [-q | -v]
+              [-w] [-a] [-T] [--all-commits] [-c] [-r <name>]
               [-f] [-j <number>] [-p [<path> [<path> ...]]]
 ```
 
 ## Description
 
-This command deletes (garbage collects) data files or directories that may exist
-in the cache (or [remote storage](/doc/command-reference/remote) if `-c` is
-used) but no longer referenced in [DVC-files](/doc/user-guide/dvc-file-format)
-currently in the <abbr>workspace</abbr>. By default, this command only cleans up
-the local cache, which is typically located on the same machine as the project
-in question. This usually helps to free up disk space.
+This command deletes (garbage collects) data files or directories that exist in
+DVC cache but are no longer needed. With `--cloud` it also removes data in
+[remote storage](/doc/command-reference/remote).
 
-There are important things to note when using Git to version the
-<abbr>project</abbr>:
+To avoid accidentally deleting data, it raises an error and doesn't touch any
+files if no scope options are provided. It means it's user's responsibility to
+explicitly provide the right set of options to specify what data is still needed
+(so that DVC can figure out what fils can be safely deleted).
 
-- If the cache/remote holds several versions of the same data, all except the
-  current one will be deleted.
-- Use the `--all-branches` or `--all-tags` options to avoid collecting data
-  referenced in the tips of all branches or all tags, respectively.
+One of the scope options, `--workspace`, `--all-branches`, `--all-tags`,
+`--all-commits`, or any combination of them must be provided. Each of them
+corresponds to the current workspace _and_ a set of commits to analyze what
+files, directories and what versions are still needed and should be kept (by
+analyzing DVC-files in those commits).
 
-The default remote is used (see `dvc config core.remote`) unless the `--remote`
-option is used.
-
-Unless the `--cloud` (`-c`) option is used, `dvc gc` does not remove data files
-from any remote. This means that any files collected from the local cache can be
+Unless the `--cloud` option is used, `dvc gc` does not remove data files from
+any remote. This means that any files collected from the local cache can be
 restored using `dvc fetch`, as long as they have previously been uploaded with
 `dvc push`.
 
+### Removing data in remote storage
+
+If `--cloud` option is provided, command deletes unused data not only in local
+DVC cache, but also in remote storage. It means it can be dangerous since in
+most cases removing data locally and in remote storage is irreversible.
+
+The default remote is cleaned (see `dvc config core.remote`) unless the
+`--remote` option is used.
+
 ## Options
 
-- `-a`, `--all-branches` - keep cached objects referenced in all Git branches.
-  Useful for keeping data for all the latest experiment versions. It's
-  recommended to consider including this option when using `-c` i.e.
-  `dvc gc -ac`.
+- `-w`, `--workspace` - keep files and directories _only_ referenced in the
+  current workspace This option is enabled automatically if `--all-tags`,
+  `--all-branches`, or `--all-commits` are used.
+
+- `-a`, `--all-branches` - keep cached objects referenced in all Git branches as
+  well as in the workspace (implies `-w`). Useful if branches are used to track
+  different experiments.
+
+- `-T`, `--all-tags` - the same as `-a` above, but applies to Git tags as well
+  as the workspace (implies `-w`). Useful if tags are used to track
+  "checkpoints" of an experiment or project. Note that both options can be
+  combined, for example using the `-aT` flag.
+
+- `--all-commits` - the same as `-a` or `-T` above, but applies to _all_ Git
+  commits as well as the workspace (implies `-w`). Useful for keeping all the
+  data used in the entire existing commit history of the project.
 
-- `-T`, `--all-tags` - the same as `-a` above, but applies to Git tags. It's
-  useful if tags are used to track "checkpoints" of an experiment or project.
-  Note that both options can be combined, for example using the `-aT` flag.
+  One of the use cases for this option is to safely delete all temporary data
+  DVC cached when `dvc run` and/or `dvc repro` were run without committing
+  changes to DVC-files (thus potentially caching data that is not referenced
+  from workspace or Git commits).
 
 - `-p <paths>`, `--projects <paths>` - if a single remote or a single cache is
   shared among different projects (e.g. a configuration like the one described
   [here](/doc/use-cases/shared-development-server)), this option can be used to
   specify a list of them (each project is a path) to keep data that is currently
   referenced from them.
 
-- `-c`, `--cloud` - also remove files in remote storage. _This operation is
-  dangerous._ It removes datasets, models, other files that are not linked in
-  the current commit (unless `-a` or `-T` are also used). The default remote is
-  used unless a specific one is given with `-r`.
+- `-c`, `--cloud` - remove files in remote storage in addition to local cache.
+  **This option is dangerous.** The default remote is used unless a specific one
+  is given with `-r`.
 
 - `-r <name>`, `--remote <name>` - name of the
   [remote storage](/doc/command-reference/remote) to collect unused objects from
@@ -83,11 +103,12 @@ $ du -sh .dvc/cache/
 7.4G    .dvc/cache/
 ```
 
-When you run `dvc gc` it removes all objects from cache that are not referenced
-in the <abbr>workspace</abbr> (by collecting hash values from the DVC-files):
+When you run `dvc gc --workspace`, DVC removes all objects from cache that are
+not referenced in the <abbr>workspace</abbr> (by collecting hash values from the
+DVC-files):
 
 ```dvc
-$ dvc gc
+$ dvc gc --workspace
 
 '.dvc/cache/27e30965256ed4d3e71c2bf0c4caad2e' was removed
 '.dvc/cache/2e006be822767e8ba5d73ebad49ef082' was removed