Re: [PATCH 0/3] clean: add `config.exclude` and `--remove-excluded`

> Ivan Shapovalov <intelfx@intelfx.name> writes:
> 
> > This series extends the concept of "excluded files" in `git clean` to
> > make it useful to protect "precious files" that might be present in a
> > specific developer's working tree (see below).
> 
> How does it interact with "git status"?

> 
> > Specifically, this series adds a `config.exclude` knob to configure
> > "always excluded" files (same as `-e` on the command line), and a
> > `--remove-excluded` flag (intentionally without a short form) to
> > "REALLY remove everything, dammit!"
> 
> I am not sure if this uses the adjective `precious` to mean the same
> thing as we historically talked about `precious`, in the context of
> "Git does not have `precious files`.  What we call `ignored` are
> synoymous to `expendables`, and we'd eventually want to add the
> `precious` class of files that are separate from `ignored` files".

> 
> If the feature is about _turning_ the existing `ignored/excluded`
> into precious and require a new option to clean those files that
> have always been treated as expendables, then that is a grave
> usability regression.  I am hoping that it is not the case.
> 
> Let's read on.
> 
> > This might seem like euphemism treadmill, but there is a specific
> > use-case for all of the exclusion methods and options:
> > 
> > .gitignore:     files that _the project_ does not want to track or touch
> >                 (build artifacts)
> > clean.exclude:  files that _the user_ does not want to track or touch
> >                 (IDE configuration)
> 
> The above two share the same "does not want to track or touch"
> explanation and readers do not know if you want them to have
> distinct meaning, or just two different places the user has to store
> the same information, one project-wide, given by and shared with
> others, the other personal.
> 
> You need to say something like "`clean.exclude` introduces a new
> `precious` class, the user does nto want to track or touch but
> unlike those that match the patterns in .gitignore, they are not
> expendables" here, if that is what you are trying to say (I am just
> guessing).

> 
> Without that ...
> 
> > git clean -x:   remove build artifacts, but keep precious files
> >                 (when a pristine build is desired)
> 
> ... this would merely be a wishful thinking, but once the reader
> understands that you are introducing a new class, yes, it does make
> sense.  And it is backward compatible enhancement, which is very
> good.
> 
> > git clean -x --remove-excluded:
> >                 remove everything, including precious files
> >                 (e.g. for redistribution)
> 
> Ditto.

> 
> It is a clever UI hack to notice that the `precious` things are not
> something you'd share with the project, and to take advantage of the
> distinction between the project-wide vs personal preference in the
> configuration system to introduce the `precious` class.  For that,
> it might even make sense to call the variable "clean.precious", as
> its semantics is VASTLY different from what we called `exclude` or
> `ignore` (they are synonyms---and they mean expendable files that
> are not to be tracked).
> 
> And when people want non-project-wide but personal paths that are
> excluded and expendable, they can use $GIT_DIR/info/exclude file.
> So a possible alternative is to have the dir.[ch] infrastructure to
> start paying attention to a new file $GIT_DIR/info/precious instead
> of the configuration variables.  I am not making an assessment on
> the relative merit between clean.precious vs $GIT_DIR/info/precious
> yet---just throwing an alternative for others to discuss.
> 
> By the way, I notice Ævar is CC'ed, but I haven't seen him for quite
> a while around here, and am wondering how you decided to do so.  Did
> you have private conversations with and got suggestions from him or
> something?  Just being curious, but at the same time, if somebody's
> influence in the resulting design is big enough, crediting them with
> "Helped-by:" or some other trailer might be worth considering.