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Re: [GSoC PATCH v2 3/4] repo: add path.gitdir with absolute and relative suffix formatting

From
Justin Tobler <jltobler@gmail.com>
Date
Jun 9, 2026, 14:31 UTC
Message-ID
<aighAZXRtLaz6sg8@denethor>
In-Reply-To
<CA+rGoLdpkuigWXqNSk3bS7-uhtzCizkPx2GGtNaTyy5J1SF7Rg@mail.gmail.com>
On 26/06/09 10:11AM, K Jayatheerth wrote:
Show 46 quoted lines
> > > +     struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
> > > +     enum path_format fmt = (arg_path_format != -1) ? arg_path_format : def_format;
> >
> > hmmm, so `arg_path_format` specifies what the user-provided format and
> > acts as a sentinel to signal there is no value provided and the fallback
> > format needs to be used. This feels a tad bit awkward to me.
> >
> > I wonder if we should introduce a PATH_FORMAT_DEFAULT to the
> > `path_format` enum that maps to one of the existing enum values in
> > `path.c:format_path()`. Here in `print_path()`, we could then intercept
> > a PATH_FORMAT_DEFAULT value and override it to the specified
> > `def_format`. I'm not sure if this is ultimately that much better
> > though.
> 
> You're right that the -1 is awkward
> it forces arg_path_format to be an int rather than the enum type
> itself, which loses type safety.
> 
> PATH_FORMAT_DEFAULT is cleaner in that regard, but it pushes the "what
> does default mean?" question into format_path()
> which currently has no notion of a fallback.
> Since the fallback is call-site specific (each path type in rev-parse
> has its own default),
> I'd rather keep that logic in print_path() where the context lives.
> 
> A middle ground would be adding PATH_FORMAT_DEFAULT to the enum but
> not handling it in format_path().
> 
> ---
> enum path_format_type format = PATH_FORMAT_DEFAULT;
> 
> /* ... */
> 
> static void print_path(const char *path, const char *prefix,
>                        enum path_format_type format,
>                        enum path_format_type def_format)
> {
>         struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
>         enum path_format_type fmt =
>             (format == PATH_FORMAT_DEFAULT) ? def_format : format;
> 
>         format_path(&sb, path, prefix, fmt);
>         puts(sb.buf);
>         strbuf_release(&sb);
> }
> ---

Intercepting PATH_FORMAT_DEFAULT in print_path() and overriding it to the appropriate default needed for the specific path printed by git-rev-parse(1), as shown above, seems reasonable to me.

But I do think that PATH_FORMAT_DEFAULT should have an actual default in format_path(). Otherwise we would have an enum value that requires callers to explicitly handle prior to invoking format_path() which would also be rather awkward. IMO, it probably wouldn't be a big deal to just say PATH_FORMAT_DEFAULT is treated as PATH_FORMAT_UNMODIFIED when passed to format_path() and document it. In practice, our rev-parse use-case would always replace PATH_FORMAT_DEFAULT with the appropriate value prior to invoking format_path().

-Justin
Previous: K JayatheerthNext: K Jayatheerth
Message 27 of 82 in “teach git repo info to handle path keys”
  1. K JayatheerthJun 1, 2026
  2. [GSoC][PATCH 1/4] path: add strbuf_add_path for formatting pathsK Jayatheerth, Jun 1, 2026
  3. Phillip WoodJun 2, 2026
  4. [GSoC][PATCH 2/4] rev-parse: use strbuf_add_path for path formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 1, 2026
  5. [GSoC][PATCH 3/4] repo: add path.gitdir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 1, 2026
  6. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 1, 2026
  7. Junio C HamanoJun 1, 2026
  8. [GSoC][PATCH 4/4] repo: add path.commondir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 1, 2026
  9. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 1, 2026
  10. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 1, 2026
  11. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 1, 2026
  12. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 1, 2026
  13. Junio C HamanoJun 1, 2026
  14. Phillip WoodJun 2, 2026
  15. 0/4 teach git repo info to handle path keysK Jayatheerth, Jun 5, 2026
  16. 1/4 path: introduce format_path() for centralized path formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 5, 2026
  17. Kristoffer HaugsbakkJun 5, 2026
  18. K JayatheerthJun 9, 2026
  19. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 8, 2026
  20. K JayatheerthJun 9, 2026
  21. Justin ToblerJun 8, 2026
  22. 2/4 rev-parse: use format_path for path formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 5, 2026
  23. Justin ToblerJun 8, 2026
  24. 3/4 repo: add path.gitdir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 5, 2026
  25. Justin ToblerJun 8, 2026
  26. K JayatheerthJun 9, 2026
  27. Justin ToblerJun 9, 2026
  28. K JayatheerthJun 10, 2026
  29. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 8, 2026
  30. 4/4 repo: add path.commondir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 5, 2026
  31. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 8, 2026
  32. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 5, 2026
  33. K JayatheerthJun 9, 2026
  34. Junio C HamanoJun 8, 2026
  35. K JayatheerthJun 9, 2026
  36. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 10, 2026
  37. 0/4 teach git repo info to handle path keysK Jayatheerth, Jun 12, 2026
  38. 1/4 path: introduce append_formatted_path() for shared path formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 12, 2026
  39. 2/4 rev-parse: use append_formatted_path() for path formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 12, 2026
  40. 3/4 repo: add path.commondir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 12, 2026
  41. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 15, 2026
  42. 4/4 repo: add path.gitdir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 12, 2026
  43. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 15, 2026
  44. Lucas Seiki OshiroJun 15, 2026
  45. 0/4 teach git repo info to handle path keysK Jayatheerth, Jun 15, 2026
  46. 1/4 path: introduce append_formatted_path() for shared path formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 15, 2026
  47. 2/4 rev-parse: use append_formatted_path() for path formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 15, 2026
  48. Justin ToblerJun 15, 2026
  49. K JayatheerthJun 16, 2026
  50. 3/4 repo: add path.commondir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 15, 2026
  51. Justin ToblerJun 15, 2026
  52. 4/4 repo: add path.gitdir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 15, 2026
  53. 0/4 teach git repo info to handle path keysK Jayatheerth, Jun 16, 2026
  54. 1/4 path: introduce append_formatted_path() for shared path formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 16, 2026
  55. Phillip WoodJun 16, 2026
  56. 2/4 rev-parse: use append_formatted_path() for path formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 16, 2026
  57. Phillip WoodJun 16, 2026
  58. K JayatheerthJun 16, 2026
  59. Phillip WoodJun 16, 2026
  60. 3/4 repo: add path.commondir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 16, 2026
  61. 4/4 repo: add path.gitdir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 16, 2026
  62. 0/4 teach git repo info to handle path keysK Jayatheerth, Jun 20, 2026
  63. 1/4 path: introduce append_formatted_path() for shared path formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 20, 2026
  64. Junio C HamanoJun 20, 2026
  65. K JayatheerthJun 20, 2026
  66. 2/4 rev-parse: use append_formatted_path() for path formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 20, 2026
  67. 3/4 repo: add path.commondir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 20, 2026
  68. 4/4 repo: add path.gitdir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 20, 2026
  69. 0/3 teach git repo info to handle path keysK Jayatheerth, Jun 21, 2026
  70. 1/3 path: extract append_formatted_path() and use in rev-parseK Jayatheerth, Jun 21, 2026
  71. Junio C HamanoJun 21, 2026
  72. Junio C HamanoJun 22, 2026
  73. K JayatheerthJun 22, 2026
  74. Phillip WoodJun 23, 2026
  75. K JayatheerthJun 24, 2026
  76. 2/3 repo: add path.commondir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 21, 2026
  77. 3/3 repo: add path.gitdir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 21, 2026
  78. 0/3 teach git repo info to handle path keysK Jayatheerth, Jun 24, 2026
  79. 1/3 path: extract format_path() and use in rev-parseK Jayatheerth, Jun 24, 2026
  80. Junio C HamanoJun 24, 2026
  81. 2/3 repo: add path.commondir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 24, 2026
  82. 3/3 repo: add path.gitdir with absolute and relative suffix formattingK Jayatheerth, Jun 24, 2026

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