Re: [PATCH] submodule: prevent overwriting .gitmodules entry on path reuse

>
> K Jayatheerth <jayatheerthkulkarni2005@gmail.com> writes:
>
> > When a submodule is added at a path that previously hosted another submodule
> > (e.g., 'child'), Git reuses the submodule name derived from the path and
> > updates the corresponding entry in .gitmodules. This can silently overwrite
> > existing configuration if the old submodule was only moved (e.g., to
> > 'child_old') without renaming the submodule.
> >
> > This patch improves the `module_add()` logic by checking whether the
> > submodule name already exists in the config but maps to a different path.
>
> Quite sensible description of the problem and the proposed course of
> improvement.
>
> I do not think `--force` that allows the same name to be reused a
> good idea at all, though.  We shouldn't encourage its use to resolve
> such a case.  If what used to be called `child` now sits elsewhere,
> perhaps because the tree structure was reorganized due to mass
> renaming, but if it still is being used in the project, there is no
> good reason to nuke the configuration recorded for that existing
> module.
>
> The module name used in .git/config is purely local so the user
> should just give a new one a name that does not conflict, or even
> better yet, perhaps the tool should pick a unique and nonconflicting
> name automatically, no?
>