Re: [PATCH v3] add: warn when -u or -A is used without filepattern

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Jan 28, 2013, 18:07 UTC
Message-ID: <7v4ni1xjuc.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <51067353.2090006@drmicha.warpmail.net>

Michael J Gruber <git@drmicha.warpmail.net> writes:

Show 12 quoted lines

> Matthieu Moy venit, vidit, dixit 28.01.2013 10:16:
>> Most git commands that can be used with our without a filepattern are
>> tree-wide by default, the filepattern being used to restrict their scope.
>> A few exceptions are: 'git grep', 'git clean', 'git add -u' and 'git add -A'.
>
> Since I didn't follow this thread, my first reaction was: "Huh? Aren't
> they treewide?" (for the relative tree)
>
> So, for someone reading just the commit message, it would be helpful to
> say what the others do, i.e. default to the relative tree at pwd (rather
> than defaulting to an empty tree, or all files whether tracked or not,
> or...).

I think "add -u && commit" vs "commit -a" you brought up is a good thing to mention, so let's do this. Another tweak is that I did s/filepattern/pathspec/ here. I know that both the documentation and the help text for "git add" say filepattern, but we say pathspec starting from glossary fairly consistently everywhere in the rest of the system.

We should probably update the documentation/help for "git add", but that is entirely a separate topic.

    add: warn when -u or -A is used without pathspec
    
    Most Git commands that can be used with or without pathspec operate
    tree-wide by default, the pathspec being used to restrict their
    scope.  A few exceptions are: 'git grep', 'git clean', 'git add -u'
    and 'git add -A'.  When run in a subdirectory without pathspec, they
    operate only on paths in the current directory.
    
    The inconsistency of 'git add -u' and 'git add -A' are particularly
    problematic since other 'git add' subcommands (namely 'git add -p'
    and 'git add -e') are tree-wide by default.  It also means that "git
    add -u && git commit" will record a state that is different from
    what is recorded with "git commit -a".
    
    Flipping the default now is unacceptable, so let's start training
    users to type 'git add -u|-A :/' or 'git add -u|-A .' explicitly, to
    prepare for the next steps:
    
    * forbid 'git add -u|-A' without pathspec (like 'git add' without
      option)
    
    * much later, maybe, re-allow 'git add -u|-A' without pathspec, that
      will add all tracked and modified files, or all files, tree-wide.
    
    A nice side effect of this patch is that it makes the :/ magic
    pathspec easier to discover for users.
    
    When the command is called from the root of the tree, there is no
    ambiguity and no need to change the behavior, hence no need to warn.
    
    Signed-off-by: Matthieu Moy <Matthieu.Moy@imag.fr>
    Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>