Re: Git re-creates newly added directory when it is pushed

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Aug 30, 2021, 00:07 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqv93n7q1v.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <CABPp-BFwvDY6-6pQ2MSPzAGafONjTEMNUkLwuRuQCJ_wx2ns2w@mail.gmail.com>

Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com> writes:

Show 15 quoted lines

>> Why does Git have to delete and then create again the directory when it
>> is already there?
>>
>>
>> This isn't a big issue, but it is very odd that git deletes the working
>> directory.
>
> It was deleted by the rebase operation, because rebase (currently)
> works by first checking out the target commit onto which it will apply
> all your local patches.  That target didn't have the directory; the
> directory was added by your local patches.  So checking out that
> commit necessarily deletes the directory.  Then rebase applies each of
> your local patches, one by one, updating the working directory as it
> applies them.  Since your local patches create that directory, it gets
> re-created by this process.

This is one of the reasons why "rebase" (especially "rebase -i") may want to insist starting at the top-level of the working tree, like "git bisect" does. Because running the command from a subdirectory works most of the time until it doesn't, people tend to complain why they should go up to the top-level before they can run the command.

And this is why---it causes end-user confusion.