Re: [RFC-PATCHv2] submodules: add a background story

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Feb 14, 2017, 21:56 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqq4lzw8mim.fsf@gitster.mtv.corp.google.com>
In-Reply-To: <CAGZ79kb2jZ9fgct6gncDqmWFsbY4MRiboFXPvw7AMcU2KanyfQ@mail.gmail.com>

Stefan Beller <sbeller@google.com> writes:

Show 8 quoted lines

> If we were to redesign the .gitmodules file, we might have it as
>
>     [submodule "path"]
>         url = git://example.org
>         branch = .
>         ...
>
> and the "path -> name/UID" mapping would be inside $GIT_DIR.

I am not sure how you are going to keep track of that mapping, though. If .gitmodules file does not have a way to tell that what used to be at "path" in its v1.0 is now at "htap" (instead the above seems to assume there will just be an entry for [submodule "htap"] in the newer version, without anything that links the old one with the new one), how would the mapping inside $GIT_DIR know? Don't forget that name was introduced as the identity because we cannot assume that URL for a single project will never change.

I fully agree that our documentation and user education should stress that names must be unique and immultable throughout the history of a superproject, though.