Re: [PATCH] gitignore(5): explain how to stop tracking a file

From: Sitaram Chamarty <sitaramc@gmail.com>
Date: Nov 11, 2010, 01:10 UTC
Message-ID: <AANLkTikpSoMGKDzUWXK-XGNZ8cp9Ltz+n8hNd9Z6FQ2E@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <20101110185555.GA12365@burratino>

On Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 12:25 AM, Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com> wrote:

Show 14 quoted lines

> Sitaram Chamarty wrote:
>
>> --- a/Documentation/gitignore.txt
>> +++ b/Documentation/gitignore.txt
>> @@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ Note that all the `gitignore` files really concern only files
>>  that are not already tracked by git;
>>  in order to ignore uncommitted changes in already tracked files,
>>  please refer to the 'git update-index --assume-unchanged'
>> -documentation.
>> +documentation.  To stop tracking a file that is currently tracked,
>> +use 'git rm --cached'.
>
> Ack.  But I fear this makes the gitignore page feel even more top-heavy
> than it already is.

Oh... I hadn't thought of that. I was looking at "what's the minimum change needed to at least mention 'git rm --cached' somewhere". You're right though, and I think your approach is good.

> The current structure is:

[snip]

Show 13 quoted lines

> It's a wonder people can find anything there. :)  So how about this?
>
> Patch 1 splits the description into three sections.  Yes, having the
> PATTERN FORMAT section is not part of the conventional list in
> man-pages(7), but I think it's easier to find the interesting part
> this way.
>
> Patch 2 puts the comments about related commands in a separate NOTES
> section.
>
> This way, one could expand on the "stop tracking file" procedure
> without interrupting the flow of the basic description of what
> excludes files do, by adding to the NOTES or EXAMPLES section.

++ from me on this approach.

regards

sitaram