From: Andy Parkins Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 08:00:47 GMT Subject: Re: Basename matching during rename/copy detection Message-ID: <200706210900.49702.andyparkins@gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <7vsl8m3sph.fsf@assigned-by-dhcp.pobox.com> On Thursday 2007 June 21, Junio C Hamano wrote: > Having many "identical files" in the preimage is just stupid to > begin with (if you know they are identical, why are you storing > copies, instead of your build procedure to reuse the same file), > so the algorithm did not bother finding a better match among > "equals". That's a really poor argument; it's not git's place to impose restrictions on what is stored in it. What if it's not a build environment at all but a home directory that's being stored - should no one be allowed to store copies of files because it's "stupid"? What if it's a collection of images that all started out the same, but have gradually had detail added (which is actually what I do in my GUI programs for toolbar images)? What about files that are used as flags, and are all identically empty. None of those seems like an abuse of a VCS to me. In fact, I'd say it's one of git's strengths that a duplicate file in the working tree doesn't take up any extra space in the repository. Andy -- Dr Andy Parkins, M Eng (hons), MIET andyparkins@gmail.com