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[PATCH v3 15/27] update-ref --stdin -z: deprecate interpreting the empty string as zeros

From
Michael Haggerty <mhagger@alum.mit.edu>
Date
Apr 7, 2014, 13:48 UTC
Message-ID
<1396878498-19887-16-git-send-email-mhagger@alum.mit.edu>
In-Reply-To
<1396878498-19887-1-git-send-email-mhagger@alum.mit.edu>

In the original version of this command, for the single case of the "update" command's <newvalue>, the empty string was interpreted as being equivalent to 40 "0"s. This shorthand is unnecessary (binary input will usually be generated programmatically anyway), and it complicates the parser and the documentation.

So gently deprecate this usage: remove its description from the documentation and emit a warning if it is found. But for reasons of backwards compatibility, continue to accept it.

Helped-by: Brad King <brad.king@kitware.com>
Signed-off-by: Michael Haggerty <mhagger@alum.mit.edu>
---
 Documentation/git-update-ref.txt | 18 ++++++++++++------
 builtin/update-ref.c             |  2 ++
 t/t1400-update-ref.sh            |  5 +++--
 3 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/git-update-ref.txt b/Documentation/git-update-ref.txt
index 0a0a551..c8f5ae5 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-update-ref.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-update-ref.txt
@@ -68,7 +68,12 @@ performs all modifications together.  Specify commands of the form:
 	option SP <opt> LF
 
 Quote fields containing whitespace as if they were strings in C source
-code.  Alternatively, use `-z` to specify commands without quoting:
+code; i.e., surrounded by double-quotes and with backslash escapes.
+Use 40 "0" characters or the empty string to specify a zero value.  To
+specify a missing value, omit the value and its preceding SP entirely.
+
+Alternatively, use `-z` to specify in NUL-terminated format, without
+quoting:
 
 	update SP <ref> NUL <newvalue> NUL [<oldvalue>] NUL
 	create SP <ref> NUL <newvalue> NUL
@@ -76,8 +81,12 @@ code.  Alternatively, use `-z` to specify commands without quoting:
 	verify SP <ref> NUL [<oldvalue>] NUL
 	option SP <opt> NUL
 
-Lines of any other format or a repeated <ref> produce an error.
-Command meanings are:
+In this format, use 40 "0" to specify a zero value, and use the empty
+string to specify a missing value.
+
+In either format, values can be specified in any form that Git
+recognizes as an object name.  Commands in any other format or a
+repeated <ref> produce an error.  Command meanings are:
 
 update::
 	Set <ref> to <newvalue> after verifying <oldvalue>, if given.
@@ -102,9 +111,6 @@ option::
 	The only valid option is `no-deref` to avoid dereferencing
 	a symbolic ref.
 
-Use 40 "0" or the empty string to specify a zero value, except that
-with `-z` an empty <oldvalue> is considered missing.
-
 If all <ref>s can be locked with matching <oldvalue>s
 simultaneously, all modifications are performed.  Otherwise, no
 modifications are performed.  Note that while each individual
diff --git a/builtin/update-ref.c b/builtin/update-ref.c
index c61120f..6f3b909 100644
--- a/builtin/update-ref.c
+++ b/builtin/update-ref.c
@@ -154,6 +154,8 @@ static int parse_next_sha1(struct strbuf *input, const char **next,
 				goto invalid;
 		} else if (flags & PARSE_SHA1_ALLOW_EMPTY) {
 			/* With -z, treat an empty value as all zeros: */
+			warning("%s %s: missing <newvalue>, treating as zero",
+				command, refname);
 			hashclr(sha1);
 		} else {
 			/*
diff --git a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
index 15f5bfd..2d61cce 100755
--- a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
@@ -730,10 +730,11 @@ test_expect_success 'stdin -z fails update with bad ref name' '
 	grep "fatal: invalid ref format: ~a" err
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'stdin -z treats empty new value as zeros' '
+test_expect_success 'stdin -z emits warning with empty new value' '
 	git update-ref $a $m &&
 	printf $F "update $a" "" "" >stdin &&
-	git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin &&
+	git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
+	grep "warning: update $a: missing <newvalue>, treating as zero" err &&
 	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify -q $a
 '
 

-- 
1.9.1
Previous: Michael HaggertyNext: Michael Haggerty
Message 16 of 34 in “Clean up update-refs --stdin and implement ref_transaction”
  1. 00/27 Clean up update-refs --stdin and implement ref_transactionMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  2. 01/27 t1400: fix name and expected result of one testMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  3. 02/27 t1400: provide more usual input to the commandMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  4. 03/27 parse_arg(): really test that argument is properly terminatedMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  5. 04/27 t1400: add some more tests involving quoted argumentsMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  6. 05/27 refs.h: rename the action_on_err constantsMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  7. 06/27 update_refs(): fix constnessMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  8. 07/27 update-ref --stdin: read the whole input at onceMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  9. 08/27 parse_cmd_verify(): copy old_sha1 instead of evaluating <oldvalue> twiceMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  10. 09/27 update-ref.c: extract a new function, parse_refname()Michael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  11. 10/27 update-ref --stdin: improve error messages for invalid valuesMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  12. 11/27 update-ref --stdin: make error messages more consistentMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  13. 12/27 update-ref --stdin: simplify error messages for missing oldvaluesMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  14. 13/27 t1400: test that stdin -z update treats empty <newvalue> as zerosMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  15. 14/27 update-ref.c: extract a new function, parse_next_sha1()Michael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  16. 15/27 update-ref --stdin -z: deprecate interpreting the empty string as zerosMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  17. 16/27 t1400: test one mistake at a timeMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  18. 17/27 update-ref --stdin: improve the error message for unexpected EOFMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  19. 18/27 update-ref --stdin: harmonize error messagesMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  20. 19/27 refs: add a concept of a reference transactionMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  21. Junio C HamanoApr 7, 2014
  22. Michael HaggertyApr 14, 2014
  23. Junio C HamanoApr 14, 2014
  24. Michael HaggertyApr 15, 2014
  25. Junio C HamanoApr 15, 2014
  26. 20/27 update-ref --stdin: reimplement using reference transactionsMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  27. 21/27 refs: remove API function update_refs()Michael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  28. 22/27 struct ref_update: rename field "ref_name" to "refname"Michael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  29. 23/27 struct ref_update: store refname as a FLEX_ARRAYMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  30. 24/27 ref_transaction_commit(): simplify code using temporary variablesMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  31. 25/27 struct ref_update: add a lock fieldMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  32. 26/27 struct ref_update: add a type fieldMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  33. 27/27 ref_transaction_commit(): work with transaction->updates in placeMichael Haggerty, Apr 7, 2014
  34. Ronnie SahlbergApr 11, 2014

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