Re: [regression?] trailing slash required in .gitattributes

> Prior to v1.8.1.1, if I did this:
>
>   git init
>   echo content >foo &&
>   mkdir subdir &&
>   echo content >subdir/bar &&
>   echo "subdir export-ignore" >.gitattributes
>   git add . &&
>   git commit -m one &&
>   git archive HEAD | tar tf -
>
> my archive would contain only "foo" and ".gitattributes", not subdir. As
> of v1.8.1.1, the attribute on subdir is ignored unless it is written
> with a trailing slash, like:
>
>   subdir/ export-ignore
>
> The issue bisects to 94bc671 (Add directory pattern matching to
> attributes, 2012-12-08). That commit actually tests not only that
> "subdir/" matches, but also that just "subdir" does not match.
>
> The commit message there is vague about the reasoning, but my
> understanding is that it was meant to harmonize gitignore and
> gitattributes, the former of which can take "dir/". I don't have a
> problem with offering "dir/" to match only directories, but what is the
> point in disallowing just "dir" to match a directory?
>
> It seems like a pointless regression to me, but I'm not clear whether it
> was intentional or not (and if it was intentional, I think we would need
> to handle it with a proper transition period, not in a maint release).