Re: [PATCH 0/3] cat-file: add %(objectmode) avoid verifying submodules' OIDs

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Mar 11, 2024, 21:43 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqwmq8o36j.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <pull.1689.git.1710183362.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

"Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com> writes:

Show 5 quoted lines

> The cat-file --batch command is very valuable in server settings, but so far
> it is missing a bit of functionality that would come in handy there.
>
> For example, it is sometimes necessary to determine the object mode of a
> batch of tree objects' children.

OK.

It is somewhat unsatisfying that --batch/--batch-check lacks so much. Even with %(objectmode) its nature of one-object-at-a-time makes querying children of a large tree a chore, when you compare it with something like "cat-file -p HEAD:" that allows you to grab the needed information for all children with a single invocation.

This is orthogonal to what the patch wants to do, which is to enrich the output side with more formatting, bit I wonder if we want to consider enriching the input side? e.g. instead of feeding just a single object name from the standard input of "cat-file --batch/--batch-check", perhaps a syntax can say "Here I have the object name for a tree-ish object, but please pretend that I gave you all the objects contained within it", or something?

Thanks, will queue.