Re: [PATCH] gitignore.txt: do not suggest assume-unchanged

From: Michael J Gruber <git@drmicha.warpmail.net>
Date: Dec 11, 2014, 15:13 UTC
Message-ID: <5489B486.6060608@drmicha.warpmail.net>
In-Reply-To: <20141210010658.GD16345@google.com>

Jonathan Nieder schrieb am 10.12.2014 um 02:06:

Show 29 quoted lines

> Michael J Gruber wrote:
> 
>> git-update-index --assume-unchanged was never meant to ignore changes
>> to tracked files (only to spare some stats). So do not suggest it
>> as a means to achieve that.
> [...]
>> +++ b/Documentation/gitignore.txt
>> @@ -138,9 +138,6 @@ NOTES
>>  The purpose of gitignore files is to ensure that certain files
>>  not tracked by Git remain untracked.
>>  
>> -To ignore uncommitted changes in a file that is already tracked,
>> -use 'git update-index {litdd}assume-unchanged'.
>> -
>>  To stop tracking a file that is currently tracked, use
>>  'git rm --cached'.
> 
> Makes sense.
> 
> But we need some advice to replace the paragraph you are deleting.  Is
> the idea something like
> 
> 	Git will not ignore uncommitted changes in a file that is already tracked.
> 	If you have time to work on that, please contact git@vger.kernel.org.
> 
> (perhaps without that second line)?
> 
> Thanks,
> Jonathan

I seems you're missing that info only because you know what used to be there.

If you reread - trying to read only what is there now - you will see that the text clearly says: gitignore files are about ignoring untracked files to ensure that they remain untracked.

But maybe I'm somewhat professionally preoccupied :)

That is: Even if it clearly says it is about untracked files, it doesn't hurt to say what it is not about (namely tracked files). It's just that it is not about many other things either.

Michael