Re: [RFC PATCH v2 3/6] doc: Add namespace collision guidelines file

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: May 29, 2020, 18:08 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqftbizk99.fsf@gitster.c.googlers.com>
In-Reply-To: <xmqq7dwv1qqn.fsf@gitster.c.googlers.com>

Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> writes:

Show 25 quoted lines

> Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> writes:
>
>>> The names of the subcommands "git" can spawn is a shared resource.
>>> ...
>>
>> Also names of worktrees that are attached to a single repository.
>> ...
>>
>> I (or others) may come up with other things that must be named and
>> name collisions must be avoided.  Even though I already said that I
>> didn't think the "suggestions to avoid name collisions" given by the
>> RFC PATCH are well done, I do think it is worth being aware of the
>> problem space, and enumerating what kind of names are shared and
>> limited resource is the first step to become so.
>
> Here are a few more.
>
>  - The nickname of a remote, like 'origin'.
>  - A custom pretty format alias 'pretty.<name>'.
>  - Ref hierarchy name (next to refs/{heads,tags,remotes}).
>
> All of these are defined in the configuration, and unlike
> attributes, they are never defined by in-tree tracked files, so we
> do not have to worry about "I use this name, and I want to make sure
> others do not use the same for different purpose."

Actually "git fetch --mirror" would propagate "private/custom" refnames used by the other side to anybody, so it does pose "I use this name, and my use of this name may harm others who may want to use it for other purposes" issue.

> But third-party tools may want to carve out a subnamespace for their
> own use, and there needs coordination among them so that they do not
> stomp on each other's toes, or collide with names the end-users
> would want to use.