[GSoC Patch v8 0/3] teach git repo info to handle path keys
- From
K Jayatheerth <jayatheerthkulkarni2005@gmail.com>
- Date
- Jun 24, 2026, 03:37 UTC
- Message-ID
- <20260624033748.108281-1-jayatheerthkulkarni2005@gmail.com>
- In-Reply-To
- <20260601151950.30686-1-jayatheerthkulkarni2005@gmail.com>
Hi!
This series teaches `git repo info` to handle `path.*` keys, allowing scripts to reliably discover core repository paths without resorting to `git rev-parse`.
The patches are structured as follows:
1. path: Extract the localized path-formatting logic out of `rev-parse` and expose it globally via `path.h` using clear append semantics.
2. repo: Introduce `path.commondir.absolute` and `path.commondir.relative` alongside a robust, isolated test helper.
3. repo: Introduce `path.gitdir.absolute` and `path.gitdir.relative` using the same standardized formatting rules.
Changes since v7:
* Renamed the helper to format_path() and changed semantics to replace/reset
the destination buffer instead of appending (Junio).
* Eliminated wasteful intermediate strbuf allocations (e.g., canonical_buf)
by passing the destination buffer directly where safe (Junio).
* Refactored the print_path() switch logic in rev-parse.c to evaluate
FORMAT_DEFAULT first for better readability and future-proofing (Junio).Keeping the name as format_path() made sense to me. I understand we already had a discussion stating format_path() wasn't a good name back then because we were clearly appending to the buffer.
I believe it is a good name now. Although, if there are any other name suggestions, I am happy to change it.
P.S: I have thought of:
replace_formatted_path
strbuf_format_path
populate_formatted_pathIn the end, I came to the conclusion that format_path() is simply better.
Tagging Justin Tobler, Lucas Seiki Oshiro, Junio, Phillip Wood, brian m. carlson, and Ayush Jha.
Thanks for helping improve this series!
K Jayatheerth (3): path: extract format_path() and use in rev-parse repo: add path.commondir with absolute and relative suffix formatting repo: add path.gitdir with absolute and relative suffix formatting
Documentation/git-repo.adoc | 15 +++++++ builtin/repo.c | 50 +++++++++++++++++++++++ builtin/rev-parse.c | 79 +++++++++++++++++-------------------- path.c | 69 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ path.h | 30 ++++++++++++++ t/t1900-repo-info.sh | 58 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 6 files changed, 258 insertions(+), 43 deletions(-)
Range-diff against v7:
1: bb1d3fd06f ! 1: 287281935e path: extract append_formatted_path() and use in rev-parse
@@ Metadata
Author: K Jayatheerth <jayatheerthkulkarni2005@gmail.com>
## Commit message ##
- path: extract append_formatted_path() and use in rev-parse
+ path: extract format_path() and use in rev-parse
Path formatting logic in builtin/rev-parse.c writes directly to
stdout. Other builtins cannot reuse it.
- Extract this logic into append_formatted_path() in path.c and expose
+ Extract this logic into format_path() in path.c and expose
a path_format enum in path.h.
Convert rev-parse to use the new helper in the same step to validate
@@ builtin/rev-parse.c: enum default_type {
+ struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
+ enum path_format fmt;
+
-+ if (format == FORMAT_RELATIVE) {
-+ fmt = PATH_FORMAT_RELATIVE;
-+ } else if (format == FORMAT_CANONICAL) {
-+ fmt = PATH_FORMAT_CANONICAL;
-+ } else /* FORMAT_DEFAULT */ {
++ if (format == FORMAT_DEFAULT) {
+ switch (def) {
+ case DEFAULT_RELATIVE:
+ fmt = PATH_FORMAT_RELATIVE;
@@ builtin/rev-parse.c: enum default_type {
- struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
- puts(relative_path(path, prefix, &buf));
- strbuf_release(&buf);
-- } else {
+ } else {
- struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
- strbuf_realpath_forgiving(&buf, path, 1);
- puts(buf.buf);
- strbuf_release(&buf);
++ switch (format) {
++ case FORMAT_RELATIVE:
++ fmt = PATH_FORMAT_RELATIVE;
++ break;
++ case FORMAT_CANONICAL:
++ fmt = PATH_FORMAT_CANONICAL;
++ break;
++ default:
++ fmt = PATH_FORMAT_UNMODIFIED;
++ break;
++ }
}
- free(cwd);
+
-+ append_formatted_path(&sb, path, prefix, fmt);
++ format_path(&sb, path, prefix, fmt);
+ puts(sb.buf);
+
+ strbuf_release(&sb);
@@ path.c: char *xdg_cache_home(const char *filename)
return NULL;
}
-+void append_formatted_path(struct strbuf *dest, const char *path,
-+ const char *prefix, enum path_format format)
++void format_path(struct strbuf *dest, const char *path,
++ const char *prefix, enum path_format format)
+{
++ strbuf_reset(dest);
++
+ switch (format) {
+ case PATH_FORMAT_UNMODIFIED:
+ strbuf_addstr(dest, path);
@@ path.c: char *xdg_cache_home(const char *filename)
+ break;
+ }
+
-+ case PATH_FORMAT_CANONICAL: {
-+ struct strbuf canonical_buf = STRBUF_INIT;
-+
-+ strbuf_realpath_forgiving(&canonical_buf, path, 1);
-+ strbuf_addbuf(dest, &canonical_buf);
-+
-+ strbuf_release(&canonical_buf);
++ case PATH_FORMAT_CANONICAL:
++ /*
++ * strbuf_realpath_forgiving inherently resets the destination
++ * buffer, safely aligning with our replace semantics.
++ */
++ strbuf_realpath_forgiving(dest, path, 1);
+ break;
-+ }
+
+ default:
+ BUG("unknown path_format value %d", format);
@@ path.h: enum scld_error safe_create_leading_directories_no_share(char *path);
+};
+
+/**
-+ * Format a path according to the specified formatting strategy and append
-+ * the result to the given strbuf.
++ * Format a path according to the specified formatting strategy and store
++ * the result in the given strbuf, replacing any existing contents.
+ *
-+ * `dest` : The string buffer to append the formatted path to.
++ * `dest` : The string buffer to store the formatted path into.
+ * `path` : The path string that needs to be formatted.
+ * `prefix` : The directory prefix to calculate relative offsets against.
+ * Pass NULL to default to the current working directory where applicable.
+ * `format` : The formatting behavior rule to execute.
+ */
-+void append_formatted_path(struct strbuf *dest, const char *path,
-+ const char *prefix, enum path_format format);
++void format_path(struct strbuf *dest, const char *path,
++ const char *prefix, enum path_format format);
+
# ifdef USE_THE_REPOSITORY_VARIABLE
# include "strbuf.h"
2: d2414bee58 ! 2: 69517f1a08 repo: add path.commondir with absolute and relative suffix formatting
@@ builtin/repo.c: static int get_object_format(struct repository *repo, struct str
+ if (!common_dir)
+ return error(_("unable to get common directory"));
+
-+ append_formatted_path(buf, common_dir, startup_info->prefix, PATH_FORMAT_CANONICAL);
++ format_path(buf, common_dir, startup_info->prefix, PATH_FORMAT_CANONICAL);
+ return 0;
+}
+
@@ builtin/repo.c: static int get_object_format(struct repository *repo, struct str
+ if (!common_dir)
+ return error(_("unable to get common directory"));
+
-+ append_formatted_path(buf, common_dir, startup_info->prefix, PATH_FORMAT_RELATIVE);
++ format_path(buf, common_dir, startup_info->prefix, PATH_FORMAT_RELATIVE);
+ return 0;
+}
+
3: 9962c7d530 ! 3: ce43453975 repo: add path.gitdir with absolute and relative suffix formatting
@@ builtin/repo.c: static int get_path_commondir_relative(struct repository *repo,
+ if (!git_dir)
+ return error(_("unable to get git directory"));
+
-+ append_formatted_path(buf, git_dir, startup_info->prefix, PATH_FORMAT_CANONICAL);
++ format_path(buf, git_dir, startup_info->prefix, PATH_FORMAT_CANONICAL);
+ return 0;
+}
+
@@ builtin/repo.c: static int get_path_commondir_relative(struct repository *repo,
+ if (!git_dir)
+ return error(_("unable to get git directory"));
+
-+ append_formatted_path(buf, git_dir, startup_info->prefix, PATH_FORMAT_RELATIVE);
++ format_path(buf, git_dir, startup_info->prefix, PATH_FORMAT_RELATIVE);
+ return 0;
+}
+-- 2.55.0-rc1