Re: [PATCH] Documentation/gitignore.txt: Clarify gitignore vs tracked files

From: Petr Baudis <pasky@suse.cz>
Date: Jul 17, 2008, 18:26 UTC
Message-ID: <20080717182619.GG10151@machine.or.cz>
In-Reply-To: <7vabgggyuc.fsf@gitster.siamese.dyndns.org>

Hi,

On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 11:16:59AM -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote:

> I'd suggest dropping everything after ';'.

  I think the part after ';' is the main benefit of this patch,
actually. Without suggesting an alternative, the users are left puzzled
"so how do I do that?"

>  - If you want to keep local changes without ever checking in, you can do
>    so by making partial commits.

  Yes, that's a rather obvious solution but the user probably wants
something nicer than that if he starts looking already.

>  - You could mark these paths "assume unchanged".

  I really think this is worth mentioning in the gitignore manpage;
it is not _directly_ on-topic, but there is no other obvious place where
to teach users about it and all the interested people will check the
gitignore manpage first. Perhaps a small section at the end might be
acceptable? ;-)

-- 
				Petr "Pasky" Baudis
GNU, n. An animal of South Africa, which in its domesticated state
resembles a horse, a buffalo and a stag. In its wild condition it is
something like a thunderbolt, an earthquake and a cyclone. -- A. Pierce