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Re: What is the reason behind not hiding git worktrees from git?

From
Sergey Organov <sorganov@gmail.com>
Date
Oct 1, 2025, 20:22 UTC
Message-ID
<875xcyfk3k.fsf@osv.gnss.ru>
In-Reply-To
<xmqq3482312r.fsf@gitster.g>
Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> writes:
Show 62 quoted lines
> Ben Knoble <ben.knoble@gmail.com> writes:
>
>>> The impact is that the list of worktrees would have to be read to get
>>> status. As status is not particularly cheap operation in any case I
>>> would expect the problem to be minor.
>>
>> I believe status information is used for the shell prompt info, so
>> performance hits there have a cost.
>
> Sure, but an embedded git-controlled working tree _should_ be
> flagged as an untracked entity, _unless_ it is ignore'd, no?
>
> That is how you would add a new submodule to your project after all.
> So, if you want to ignore them, just add them to .git/info/exclude
> or something, perhaps?
>
> Why do people even want to have such a layout, unless they want to
> make it a submodule (or deliberate subdirectory that is unrelated)?
>
>  -+- README.md (your own branch, probably on main)
>   |
>   +-+ worktree-foo (worktree checkout of branch foo)
>   | |
>   | +-- README.md (a slight variant of the file in foo)
>   |
>   +-+ worktree-bar (worktree checkout of branch bar)
>   | |
>   | +-- README.md (a slight variant of the file in bar)
>   |
>   +-+ worktree-baz (worktree checkout of branch baz)
>   | |
>   | +-- README.md (a slight variant of the file in baz)
>
> Wouldn't it be easier to manage if you had this instead?
>
>  -+
>   |
>   +-+ my-project (the primary worktree, probably on main)
>   | |
>   | +-- README.md (the file from branch main)
>   |
>   +-+ worktree-foo (worktree checkout of branch foo)
>   | |
>   | +-- README.md (a slight variant of the file in foo)
>   |
>   +-+ worktree-bar (worktree checkout of branch bar)
>   | |
>   | +-- README.md (a slight variant of the file in bar)
>   |
>   +-+ worktree-baz (worktree checkout of branch baz)
>   | |
>   | +-- README.md (a slight variant of the file in baz)
>
> That way, you can go up to the umbrella directory and ...
>
>     $ cd ..
>     $ ls
>     my-project worktree-foo worktree-bar worktree-baz
>     $ grep -e HowTo */README.md
>
> ... do things you would do collectively to these worktrees with the
> primary worktree included as well.

I suspect people rather expect support for repository with multiple equal worktrees (no "primary" one), like this:

myproject / .git
          / worktree-foo
          / worktree-bar

Also, I'm almost sure that the first thing almost every worktree novice does (I did), quite naturally, is:

$ git wotktree add <branch>

that happily succeeds /anywhere/ inside primary worktree without any warning for me. It probably should either have created $top/../<branch> instead, or refuse to proceed without confirmation in the first place.

-- Sergey Organov
Previous: Junio C HamanoNext: Junio C Hamano
Message 12 of 44 in “What is the reason behind not hiding git worktrees from git?”
  1. Jakub T. JankiewiczSep 27, 2025
  2. Junio C HamanoSep 27, 2025
  3. Michal SuchánekSep 27, 2025
  4. Jason ChoSep 27, 2025
  5. Jason ChoSep 27, 2025
  6. Michal SuchánekSep 30, 2025
  7. Junio C HamanoSep 30, 2025
  8. Michal SuchánekNov 19, 2025
  9. Michal SuchánekSep 30, 2025
  10. Ben KnobleOct 1, 2025
  11. Junio C HamanoOct 1, 2025
  12. Sergey OrganovOct 1, 2025
  13. Junio C HamanoOct 1, 2025
  14. Jakub T. JankiewiczOct 1, 2025
  15. Junio C HamanoOct 1, 2025
  16. Eric SunshineOct 1, 2025
  17. Junio C HamanoOct 1, 2025
  18. Michal SuchánekOct 2, 2025
  19. Junio C HamanoOct 2, 2025
  20. 1/2 doc: git-worktree: Link to examplesMichal Suchanek, Oct 2, 2025
  21. Kristoffer HaugsbakkOct 2, 2025
  22. Junio C HamanoOct 2, 2025
  23. Michal SuchánekOct 2, 2025
  24. Jean-Noël AVILAOct 5, 2025
  25. Michal SuchánekOct 10, 2025
  26. 1/2 doc: git-worktree: Link to examplesMichal Suchanek, Oct 10, 2025
  27. Eric SunshineOct 11, 2025
  28. 2/2 doc: git-worktree: Add side by side branch checkout exampleMichal Suchanek, Oct 10, 2025
  29. Eric SunshineOct 11, 2025
  30. Junio C HamanoOct 23, 2025
  31. Michal SuchánekOct 24, 2025
  32. Eric SunshineOct 24, 2025
  33. Michal SuchánekNov 18, 2025
  34. Eric SunshineNov 19, 2025
  35. Junio C HamanoJan 20, 2026
  36. 2/2 doc: git-worktree: Add side by side branch checkout exampleMichal Suchanek, Oct 2, 2025
  37. Kristoffer HaugsbakkOct 2, 2025
  38. Michal SuchánekOct 2, 2025
  39. Junio C HamanoOct 2, 2025
  40. Junio C HamanoOct 2, 2025
  41. Michal SuchánekOct 2, 2025
  42. Johannes SchindelinNov 17, 2025
  43. Junio C HamanoNov 17, 2025
  44. Ben KnobleOct 2, 2025

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