Re: [PATCH 08/27] pack: move approximate object count to object store

> On Fri, Feb 23, 2018 at 02:22:14PM -0800, Stefan Beller wrote:
>
>> >> +     /*
>> >> +      * A fast, rough count of the number of objects in the repository.
>> >> +      * These two fields are not meant for direct access. Use
>> >> +      * approximate_object_count() instead.
>> >> +      */
>> >> +     unsigned long approximate_object_count;
>> >> +     unsigned approximate_object_count_valid : 1;
>> >
>> > Patch looks fine and is effectively a no-op, though what is the need for
>> > both of these variables?  Maybe it can be simplified down to just use
>> > one?  Just musing as its out of the scope of this patch and we probably
>> > shouldn't try to change that in this series.
>>
>> I agree we should. It was introduced in e323de4ad7f (sha1_file:
>> allow sha1_loose_object_info to handle arbitrary repositories, 2017-08-30)
>> and I think it was seen as a clever optimization trick back then?
>
> I think you meant 8e3f52d778 (find_unique_abbrev: move logic out of
> get_short_sha1(), 2016-10-03)?

>
> Yes, it was just to avoid the dual-meaning of "0" for "not set" and a
> repository with no packfiles.  It would probably be fine to get rid of
> it. If you have no packfiles then you probably don't have enough objects
> to worry about micro-optimizing. And anyway, the "wasted" case wouldn't
> even make any syscalls (it would do a noop prepare_packed_git() and then
> realize the packed_git list is empty).