threads / patch / 14507

patchDocumentation/gitignore.txt: Clarify gitignore vs tracked files

Subject: [PATCH] Documentation/gitignore.txt: Clarify gitignore vs tracked files

## tl;dr

4 messages between Jul 17, 2008 and Jul 18, 2008. Diffs are folded; open one to read it.

replies: 3people: 2as markdown or json

Petr Baudis· Jul 17, 2008, 16:36 UTC · lore

Explain more carefully that `.gitignore` concerns only untracked files and there is no way to make git ignore local changes in already tracked files.

This is currently probably one of the top FAQs at #git and the documentation could be more explicit about this.

Signed-off-by: Petr Baudis <pasky@suse.cz>
---
 Documentation/gitignore.txt |    7 +++++--
 1 files changed, 5 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
Show changes to Documentation/gitignore.txt +5 −2
diff --git a/Documentation/gitignore.txt b/Documentation/gitignore.txt
index fc0efd8..ac3c776 100644
--- a/Documentation/gitignore.txt
+++ b/Documentation/gitignore.txt
@@ -13,9 +13,12 @@ DESCRIPTION
 -----------
 
 A `gitignore` file specifies intentionally untracked files that
-git should ignore.  Each line in a `gitignore` file specifies a
-pattern.
+git should ignore.
+Note that all the `gitignore` files really concern only files
+that are not already tracked by git; there is no direct mechanism
+to make git ignore your local modifications in already tracked files.
 
+Each line in a `gitignore` file specifies a pattern.
 When deciding whether to ignore a path, git normally checks
 `gitignore` patterns from multiple sources, with the following
 order of precedence, from highest to lowest (within one level of
Junio C Hamano· Jul 17, 2008, 18:16 UTC · re: Petr Baudis · lore

Re: [PATCH] Documentation/gitignore.txt: Clarify gitignore vs tracked files

Petr Baudis <pasky@suse.cz> writes:
Show 6 quoted lines
> -git should ignore.  Each line in a `gitignore` file specifies a
> -pattern.
> +git should ignore.
> +Note that all the `gitignore` files really concern only files
> +that are not already tracked by git; there is no direct mechanism
> +to make git ignore your local modifications in already tracked files.
Thanks.
I'd suggest dropping everything after ';'.
 - If you want to keep local changes without ever checking in, you can do
   so by making partial commits.
 - You could mark these paths "assume unchanged".
Petr Baudis· Jul 17, 2008, 18:26 UTC · re: Junio C Hamano · lore

Re: [PATCH] Documentation/gitignore.txt: Clarify gitignore vs tracked files

  Hi,
On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 11:16:59AM -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> I'd suggest dropping everything after ';'.
  I think the part after ';' is the main benefit of this patch,
actually. Without suggesting an alternative, the users are left puzzled
"so how do I do that?"
>  - If you want to keep local changes without ever checking in, you can do
>    so by making partial commits.
  Yes, that's a rather obvious solution but the user probably wants
something nicer than that if he starts looking already.
>  - You could mark these paths "assume unchanged".
  I really think this is worth mentioning in the gitignore manpage;
it is not _directly_ on-topic, but there is no other obvious place where
to teach users about it and all the interested people will check the
gitignore manpage first. Perhaps a small section at the end might be
acceptable? ;-)
-- 
				Petr "Pasky" Baudis
GNU, n. An animal of South Africa, which in its domesticated state
resembles a horse, a buffalo and a stag. In its wild condition it is
something like a thunderbolt, an earthquake and a cyclone. -- A. Pierce
Petr Baudis· Jul 18, 2008, 14:11 UTC · re: Petr Baudis · lore

[PATCH] Documentation: How to ignore local changes in tracked files

This patch explains more carefully that `.gitignore` concerns only untracked files and refers the reader to

	git update-index --assume-unchanged

in the need of ignoring uncommitted changes in already tracked files. The description of this option is lifted to a more "porcelainish" level and explains the caveats of this usecase.

Whether feasible or not, I believe adding this functionality to the porcelain is out of the scope of this patch. (And I personally think that referring to the plumbing in the case of such a special usage is fine.)

This is currently probably one of the top FAQs at #git and the --assume-unchanged switch is not widely known; gitignore(5) is the first place where people are likely to look for it.

Signed-off-by: Petr Baudis <pasky@suse.cz>
---
 Documentation/git-update-index.txt |   10 ++++++++++
 Documentation/gitignore.txt        |   11 ++++++++---
 2 files changed, 18 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
Show changes to 2 files +18 −3

Documentation/git-update-index.txt, Documentation/gitignore.txt

diff --git a/Documentation/git-update-index.txt b/Documentation/git-update-index.txt
index a91fd21..6b930bc 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-update-index.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-update-index.txt
@@ -88,6 +88,16 @@ OPTIONS
 	sometimes helpful when working with a big project on a
 	filesystem that has very slow lstat(2) system call
 	(e.g. cifs).
++
+This option can be also used as a coarse file-level mechanism
+to ignore uncommitted changes in tracked files (akin to what
+`.gitignore` does for untracked files).
+You should remember that an explicit 'git add' operation will
+still cause the file to be refreshed from the working tree.
+Git will fail (gracefully) in case it needs to modify this file
+in the index e.g. when merging in a commit;
+thus, in case the assumed-untracked file is changed upstream,
+you will need to handle the situation manually.
 
 -g::
 --again::
diff --git a/Documentation/gitignore.txt b/Documentation/gitignore.txt
index fc0efd8..59321a2 100644
--- a/Documentation/gitignore.txt
+++ b/Documentation/gitignore.txt
@@ -13,9 +13,14 @@ DESCRIPTION
 -----------
 
 A `gitignore` file specifies intentionally untracked files that
-git should ignore.  Each line in a `gitignore` file specifies a
-pattern.
-
+git should ignore.
+Note that all the `gitignore` files really concern only files
+that are not already tracked by git;
+in order to ignore uncommitted changes in already tracked files,
+please refer to the 'git update-index --assume-unchanged'
+documentation.
+
+Each line in a `gitignore` file specifies a pattern.
 When deciding whether to ignore a path, git normally checks
 `gitignore` patterns from multiple sources, with the following
 order of precedence, from highest to lowest (within one level of

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