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[RFC PATCH] merge-recursive: symlink's descendants not in way

From
JTJonathan Tan <jonathantanmy@google.com>
Date
Sep 17, 2019, 21:50 UTC
Message-ID
<20190917215040.132503-1-jonathantanmy@google.com>
In-Reply-To
<CABPp-BHpXWF+1hKUTfn8s-y4MJZXz+jUVS_K10eKyD6PGwo=gg@mail.gmail.com>
When the working tree has:
 - foo (symlink)
 - foo/bar (directory)
and the user merges a commit that deletes the foo symlink and instead
contains:
 - foo (directory)
 - foo/bar (file)

the merge should happen without requiring user intervention. However, this does not happen.

In merge_trees(), process_entry() will be invoked first for "foo/bar", then "foo" (in reverse lexicographical order). process_entry() correctly reaches "Case B: Added in one", but dir_in_way() states that "bar" is already present as a directory, causing a directory/file conflict at the wrong point.

Instead, teach dir_in_way() that directories under symlinks are not "in the way", so that symlinks are treated as regular files instead of directories containing other directories and files. Thus, the "else" branch will be followed instead: "foo/bar" will be added to the working tree, make_room_for_path() being indirectly called to unlink the "foo" symlink (just like if "foo" were a regular file instead). When process_entry() is subsequently invoked for "foo", process_entry() will reach "Case A: Deleted in one", and will handle it as "Add/delete" or "Modify/delete" appropriately (including reinstatement of the previously unlinked symlink with a new unique filename if necessary, again, just like if "foo" were a regular file instead).

Helped-by: Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Jonathan Tan <jonathantanmy@google.com>
---
Thanks to Elijah for his help. Some of the commit message is based on
his explanation [1].

I'm finding this relatively complicated, so I'm sending this as RFC. My main concern is that whether all callers of dir_in_way() are OK with its behavior change, and if yes, how to explain it. I suspect that this is correct because dir_in_way() should behave consistently for all its callers, but I might be wrong.

The other thing is whether the commit message is clear enough. In particular, whether it needs more detail (I didn't mention the index, for example), or whether it should be more concise (for example, I thought of just stating that we treat symlinks as regular files and this would be backed up by the fact that I've updated the only part of merge-recursive.c that calls lstat() and then S_ISDIR).

[1] https://public-inbox.org/git/CABPp-BHpXWF+1hKUTfn8s-y4MJZXz+jUVS_K10eKyD6PGwo=gg@mail.gmail.com/
---
 merge-recursive.c          | 40 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----
 t/t3030-merge-recursive.sh | 27 +++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 62 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
diff --git a/merge-recursive.c b/merge-recursive.c
index 6b812d67e3..a2029a4e94 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/merge-recursive.c
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ static int dir_in_way(struct index_state *istate, const char *path,
 {
 	int pos;
 	struct strbuf dirpath = STRBUF_INIT;
-	struct stat st;
+	int ret = 0;
 
 	strbuf_addstr(&dirpath, path);
 	strbuf_addch(&dirpath, '/');
@@ -758,13 +758,43 @@ static int dir_in_way(struct index_state *istate, const char *path,
 		pos = -1 - pos;
 	if (pos < istate->cache_nr &&
 	    !strncmp(dirpath.buf, istate->cache[pos]->name, dirpath.len)) {
-		strbuf_release(&dirpath);
-		return 1;
+		ret = 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
+	if (check_working_copy) {
+		struct stat st;
+
+		strbuf_trim_trailing_dir_sep(&dirpath);
+		if (lstat(dirpath.buf, &st))
+			goto cleanup; /* doesn't exist, OK */
+		if (!S_ISDIR(st.st_mode))
+			goto cleanup; /* not directory, OK */
+		if (empty_ok && is_empty_dir(dirpath.buf))
+			goto cleanup;
+
+		/*
+		 * The given path is a directory, but this should not
+		 * be treated as "in the way" if one of this
+		 * directory's ancestors is a symlink. Check for this
+		 * case.
+		 */
+		while (1) {
+			char *slash = strrchr(dirpath.buf, '/');
+
+			if (!slash) {
+				ret = 1;
+				goto cleanup;
+			}
+			*slash = '\0';
+			if (!lstat(dirpath.buf, &st) && S_ISLNK(st.st_mode))
+				goto cleanup;
+		}
+	}
+
+cleanup:
 	strbuf_release(&dirpath);
-	return check_working_copy && !lstat(path, &st) && S_ISDIR(st.st_mode) &&
-		!(empty_ok && is_empty_dir(path));
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/t/t3030-merge-recursive.sh b/t/t3030-merge-recursive.sh
index ff641b348a..dfd617a845 100755
--- a/t/t3030-merge-recursive.sh
+++ b/t/t3030-merge-recursive.sh
@@ -452,6 +452,33 @@ test_expect_success 'merge-recursive d/f conflict result' '
 
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'dir in working tree with symlink ancestor does not produce d/f conflict' '
+	git init sym &&
+	(
+		cd sym &&
+		ln -s . foo &&
+		mkdir bar &&
+		touch bar/file &&
+		git add foo bar/file &&
+		git commit -m "foo symlink" &&
+
+		git checkout -b branch1 &&
+		git commit --allow-empty -m "empty commit" &&
+
+		git checkout master &&
+		git rm foo &&
+		mkdir foo &&
+		touch foo/bar &&
+		git add foo/bar &&
+		git commit -m "replace foo symlink with real foo dir and foo/bar file" &&
+
+		git checkout branch1 &&
+
+		# Exercise to make sure that this works without errors
+		git cherry-pick master
+	)
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'reset and 3-way merge' '
 
 	git reset --hard "$c2" &&
-- 
2.23.0.237.gc6a4ce50a0-goog
Previous: Elijah NewrenNext: Junio C Hamano
Message 7 of 13 in “merge-recursive thinks symlink's child dirs are "real"”
  1. Jonathan TanSep 16, 2019
  2. SZEDER GáborSep 16, 2019
  3. Elijah NewrenSep 17, 2019
  4. Jonathan NiederSep 17, 2019
  5. Elijah NewrenSep 17, 2019
  6. Elijah NewrenSep 17, 2019
  7. merge-recursive: symlink's descendants not in wayJonathan Tan, Sep 17, 2019
  8. Junio C HamanoSep 17, 2019
  9. Jonathan TanSep 17, 2019
  10. Junio C HamanoSep 17, 2019
  11. Jonathan TanSep 17, 2019
  12. SZEDER GáborSep 17, 2019
  13. Elijah NewrenSep 18, 2019

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