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gitignore: negating path patterns

Subject: gitignore: negating path patterns

## tl;dr

5 messages between May 21, 2008 and May 26, 2008.

replies: 4people: 2as markdown or json

Michael J Gruber· May 21, 2008, 14:52 UTC · lore
Hi there

It seems that negating path patterns in gitignore doesn't work, or I don't understand it (or both). With the attached script, git status (1.5.5.1) reports "dir/a" as new and "dir/b" as untracked. I would rather expect it to report "dir/c" as untracked also.

It seems that "!b" matches to include "dir/b" (reverting the exclusion "*" as expected), whereas "!dir/" does not match to include "dir/c".

What's going on here?
Michael

P.S.: "*" in dir/.gitignore would do what I want, but I want all patterns in one place.

P.P.S.: My first attempt at sending this was blocked (by an MS CDO for Exchange 2000?! Is this gmane playing pranks on me?). So I'll resend with the script inline rather than attached.

---etest.sh---

#!/bin/sh rm -Rf test mkdir test cd test git init mkdir dir echo test > a echo test > dir/a echo test > dir/b echo test > dir/c git add dir/a cat > .git/info/exclude <<EOF * !dir/ !b EOF git status

Kevin Ballard· May 23, 2008, 00:23 UTC · re: Michael J Gruber · lore

Re: gitignore: negating path patterns

On May 21, 2008, at 7:52 AM, Michael J Gruber wrote:
Show 11 quoted lines
> Hi there
>
> It seems that negating path patterns in gitignore doesn't work, or I
> don't understand it (or both). With the attached script, git status
> (1.5.5.1) reports "dir/a" as new and "dir/b" as untracked. I would
> rather expect it to report "dir/c" as untracked also.
>
> It seems that "!b" matches to include "dir/b" (reverting the exclusion
> "*" as expected), whereas "!dir/" does not match to include "dir/c".
>
> What's going on here?

"dir/" will not match anything, because paths are compared without trailing slashes. Try "!dir".

-- 
Kevin Ballard
http://kevin.sb.org
kevin@sb.org
http://www.tildesoft.com
Michael J Gruber· May 23, 2008, 07:52 UTC · re: Kevin Ballard · lore

Re: gitignore: negating path patterns

Kevin Ballard venit, vidit, dixit 23.05.2008 02:23:
Show 17 quoted lines
> On May 21, 2008, at 7:52 AM, Michael J Gruber wrote:
> 
>> Hi there
>>
>> It seems that negating path patterns in gitignore doesn't work, or I
>> don't understand it (or both). With the attached script, git status
>> (1.5.5.1) reports "dir/a" as new and "dir/b" as untracked. I would
>> rather expect it to report "dir/c" as untracked also.
>>
>> It seems that "!b" matches to include "dir/b" (reverting the exclusion
>> "*" as expected), whereas "!dir/" does not match to include "dir/c".
>>
>> What's going on here?
> 
> "dir/" will not match anything, because paths are compared without  
> trailing slashes. Try "!dir".
>

I am sorry, but this is plain wrong, at least if "man gitignore" is right (see below). "!dir" would match files whose name (pathname without leading directory name) matches "dir" (i.e.: is dir) and exclude those from exclusion (include them).

Also, replacing "!dir/" by "!dir" in my test script does not change the result. In fact, for "!dir" the result is as expected and documented, just for "!dir/" I would expect something else.

So, thanks for trying to help, although reading the manual or testing your advice before would be appreciated even more. ;)

Michael
 From man gitignore:

If the pattern ends with a slash, it is removed for the purpose of the following description, but it would only find a match with a directory. In other words, foo/ will match a directory foo and paths underneath it, but will not match a regular file or a symbolic link foo (this is consistent with the way how pathspec works in general in git).

Kevin Ballard· May 23, 2008, 22:44 UTC · re: Michael J Gruber · lore

Re: gitignore: negating path patterns

On May 23, 2008, at 12:52 AM, Michael J Gruber wrote:
Show 39 quoted lines
> Kevin Ballard venit, vidit, dixit 23.05.2008 02:23:
>> On May 21, 2008, at 7:52 AM, Michael J Gruber wrote:
>>> Hi there
>>>
>>> It seems that negating path patterns in gitignore doesn't work, or I
>>> don't understand it (or both). With the attached script, git status
>>> (1.5.5.1) reports "dir/a" as new and "dir/b" as untracked. I would
>>> rather expect it to report "dir/c" as untracked also.
>>>
>>> It seems that "!b" matches to include "dir/b" (reverting the  
>>> exclusion
>>> "*" as expected), whereas "!dir/" does not match to include "dir/c".
>>>
>>> What's going on here?
>> "dir/" will not match anything, because paths are compared without   
>> trailing slashes. Try "!dir".
>
> I am sorry, but this is plain wrong, at least if "man gitignore" is  
> right (see below). "!dir" would match files whose name (pathname  
> without leading directory name) matches "dir" (i.e.: is dir) and  
> exclude those from exclusion (include them).
>
> Also, replacing "!dir/" by "!dir" in my test script does not change  
> the result. In fact, for "!dir" the result is as expected and  
> documented, just for "!dir/" I would expect something else.
>
> So, thanks for trying to help, although reading the manual or  
> testing your advice before would be appreciated even more. ;)
>
> Michael
>
> From man gitignore:
>
> If the pattern ends with a slash, it is removed for the purpose of  
> the following description, but it would only find a match with a  
> directory. In other words, foo/ will match a directory foo and paths  
> underneath it, but will not match a regular file or a symbolic link  
> foo (this is consistent with the way how pathspec works in general  
> in git).

Ahh, the behavior changed in 1.5.5. Pre-1.5.5, if a path ended in a slash, it would never match anything.

In any case, the problem is the * pattern. Here's what happens:

At /, the * is evaluated and ignores everything. The !dir/ is evaluated and unignores dir. The !b is evaluated and matches nothing. AT /dir, the * is evaluated and ignores everything. The !dir/ is evaluated and matches nothing. The !b is evaluated and unignores b.

So the problem is the * is recursively applying to the subdirectories. To fix this, use /* as the pattern.

-Kevin Ballard
-- 
Kevin Ballard
http://kevin.sb.org
kevin@sb.org
http://www.tildesoft.com
Michael J Gruber· May 26, 2008, 08:54 UTC · re: Kevin Ballard · lore

Re: gitignore: negating path patterns

Kevin Ballard venit, vidit, dixit 24.05.2008 00:44:
Show 53 quoted lines
> On May 23, 2008, at 12:52 AM, Michael J Gruber wrote:
> 
>> Kevin Ballard venit, vidit, dixit 23.05.2008 02:23:
>>> On May 21, 2008, at 7:52 AM, Michael J Gruber wrote:
>>>> Hi there
>>>>
>>>> It seems that negating path patterns in gitignore doesn't work, or I
>>>> don't understand it (or both). With the attached script, git status
>>>> (1.5.5.1) reports "dir/a" as new and "dir/b" as untracked. I would
>>>> rather expect it to report "dir/c" as untracked also.
>>>>
>>>> It seems that "!b" matches to include "dir/b" (reverting the  
>>>> exclusion
>>>> "*" as expected), whereas "!dir/" does not match to include "dir/c".
>>>>
>>>> What's going on here?
>>> "dir/" will not match anything, because paths are compared without   
>>> trailing slashes. Try "!dir".
>> I am sorry, but this is plain wrong, at least if "man gitignore" is  
>> right (see below). "!dir" would match files whose name (pathname  
>> without leading directory name) matches "dir" (i.e.: is dir) and  
>> exclude those from exclusion (include them).
>>
>> Also, replacing "!dir/" by "!dir" in my test script does not change  
>> the result. In fact, for "!dir" the result is as expected and  
>> documented, just for "!dir/" I would expect something else.
>>
>> So, thanks for trying to help, although reading the manual or  
>> testing your advice before would be appreciated even more. ;)
>>
>> Michael
>>
>> From man gitignore:
>>
>> If the pattern ends with a slash, it is removed for the purpose of  
>> the following description, but it would only find a match with a  
>> directory. In other words, foo/ will match a directory foo and paths  
>> underneath it, but will not match a regular file or a symbolic link  
>> foo (this is consistent with the way how pathspec works in general  
>> in git).
> 
> Ahh, the behavior changed in 1.5.5. Pre-1.5.5, if a path ended in a  
> slash, it would never match anything.
> 
> In any case, the problem is the * pattern. Here's what happens:
> 
> At /, the * is evaluated and ignores everything. The !dir/ is  
> evaluated and unignores dir. The !b is evaluated and matches nothing.
> AT /dir, the * is evaluated and ignores everything. The !dir/ is  
> evaluated and matches nothing. The !b is evaluated and unignores b.
> 
> So the problem is the * is recursively applying to the subdirectories.  
> To fix this, use /* as the pattern.

You're right, that's how it works now. Thanks a bunch! Nothings beats "using the s/force/source/".

I find this behaviour highly confusing for someone going by "gitgnore(5)". I'll try and submit a documentation fix as a first attempt at contributing back.

Michael

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