# [PATCH] Add notes that some $GIT_DIR/info/ files are not copied by clone, etc. 2 messages from 2008-03-27 to 2008-03-27. Participants: Toby Corkindale, Jeff King. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/12886 ## Toby Corkindale, 2008-03-27 04:36 Subject: [PATCH] Add notes that some $GIT_DIR/info/ files are not copied by clone, etc. Message-ID: <47EB246A.1030402@rea-group.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/47EB246A.1030402%40rea-group.com ``` --- Documentation/gitattributes.txt | 4 ++++ Documentation/gitignore.txt | 3 +++ 2 files changed, 7 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/gitattributes.txt b/Documentation/gitattributes.txt index 84ec962..b3b497b 100644 --- a/Documentation/gitattributes.txt +++ b/Documentation/gitattributes.txt @@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ path in question, and its parent directories (the further the directory that contains `.gitattributes` is from the path in question, the lower its precedence). +The $GIT_DIR/info/attributes file is used when you wish to only affect certain +repositories. It will not be copied to other repositories by automatic +operations such as clone, fetch, etc. + Sometimes you would need to override an setting of an attribute for a path to `unspecified` state. This can be done by listing the name of the attribute prefixed with an exclamation point `!`. diff --git a/Documentation/gitignore.txt b/Documentation/gitignore.txt index e847b3b..435f23c 100644 --- a/Documentation/gitignore.txt +++ b/Documentation/gitignore.txt @@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ precedence, the last matching pattern decides the outcome): files generated as part of the project build. * Patterns read from `$GIT_DIR/info/exclude`. + * The $GIT_DIR/info/exclude file is used when you wish to only affect + certain repositories. It will not be copied to other repositories by + automatic operations such as clone, fetch, etc. * Patterns read from the file specified by the configuration variable 'core.excludesfile'. -- 1.5.4.3 ``` ## Jeff King, 2008-03-27 04:51 Subject: Re: [PATCH] Add notes that some $GIT_DIR/info/ files are not copied by clone, etc. Message-ID: <20080327045144.GB6426@coredump.intra.peff.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20080327045144.GB6426%40coredump.intra.peff.net In-Reply-To: <47EB246A.1030402@rea-group.com> ``` On Thu, Mar 27, 2008 at 03:36:58PM +1100, Toby Corkindale wrote: > --- > Documentation/gitattributes.txt | 4 ++++ > Documentation/gitignore.txt | 3 +++ > 2 files changed, 7 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-) Generally git patches should be: - included inline rather than attached (it looks like you are using Thunderbird, which does have some whitespace munging issues; there is a section in SubmittingPatches that discusses Thunderbird specifically) - signed-off (see SubmittingPatches) Comments on the content are below. > diff --git a/Documentation/gitattributes.txt b/Documentation/gitattributes.txt > index 84ec962..b3b497b 100644 > --- a/Documentation/gitattributes.txt > +++ b/Documentation/gitattributes.txt > @@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ path in question, and its parent directories (the further the > directory that contains `.gitattributes` is from the path in > question, the lower its precedence). > > +The $GIT_DIR/info/attributes file is used when you wish to only affect certain > +repositories. It will not be copied to other repositories by automatic > +operations such as clone, fetch, etc. > + I think this paragraph is OK, and in a reasonable spot. Though it might read easier for a user if it is inside-out from what you have written. IOW, you have "X does Y" but I wonder if "if you want Y, then use X" might be a better wording. See below. > --- a/Documentation/gitignore.txt > +++ b/Documentation/gitignore.txt > @@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ precedence, the last matching pattern decides the outcome): > files generated as part of the project build. > > * Patterns read from `$GIT_DIR/info/exclude`. > + * The $GIT_DIR/info/exclude file is used when you wish to only affect > + certain repositories. It will not be copied to other repositories by > + automatic operations such as clone, fetch, etc. > > * Patterns read from the file specified by the configuration > variable 'core.excludesfile'. I don't like this one. There are actually _three_ different places you can put ignore patterns, so I think you do better to wait until after the precedence list is finished, and then discuss the reasons for using each. How about this instead of your second hunk? -- >8 -- Documentation: clarify differences between gitignore files Since gitignore patterns can be read from three different files, let's provide some hints to the user about how they are typically used. Signed-off-by: Jeff King --- Documentation/gitignore.txt | 12 ++++++++++++ 1 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/gitignore.txt b/Documentation/gitignore.txt index e847b3b..613dca0 100644 --- a/Documentation/gitignore.txt +++ b/Documentation/gitignore.txt @@ -38,6 +38,18 @@ precedence, the last matching pattern decides the outcome): * Patterns read from the file specified by the configuration variable 'core.excludesfile'. +Which file to place a pattern in depends on how the pattern is meant to +be used. Patterns which should be version-controlled and distributed to +other repositories via clone (i.e., files that all developers will want +to ignore) should go into a `.gitignore` file. Patterns which are +specific to a particular repository but which do not need to be shared +with other related repositories (e.g., auxiliary files that live inside +the repository but are specific to one user's workflow) should go into +the `$GIT_DIR/info/exclude` file. Patterns which a user wants git to +ignore in all situations (e.g., backup or temporary files generated by +the user's editor of choice) generally go into a file specified by +`core.excludesfile` in the user's `~/.gitconfig`. + The underlying git plumbing tools, such as linkgit:git-ls-files[1] and linkgit:git-read-tree[1], read `gitignore` patterns specified by command-line options, or from -- 1.5.5.rc1.133.g360d ```