Dr. Adam Nielsengitignore.txt: make slash-rules more readable
Renew paragraphs relevant for pattern with slash. Aim to make it more clear and to avoid possible pitfalls for the reader. Add some examples.
Signed-off-by: Dr. Adam Nielsen <admin@in-ici.net>
--- Documentation/gitignore.txt | 66 ++++++++++++++++++++++++------------- 1 file changed, 44 insertions(+), 22 deletions(-)
Show changes to Documentation/gitignore.txt +44 −22
diff --git a/Documentation/gitignore.txt b/Documentation/gitignore.txt index b5bc9dbff0..d47b1ae296 100644 --- a/Documentation/gitignore.txt +++ b/Documentation/gitignore.txt @@ -89,28 +89,28 @@ PATTERN FORMAT Put a backslash ("`\`") in front of the first "`!`" for patterns that begin with a literal "`!`", for example, "`\!important!.txt`". - - 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). - - - If the pattern does not contain a slash '/', Git treats it as - a shell glob pattern and checks for a match against the - pathname relative to the location of the `.gitignore` file - (relative to the toplevel of the work tree if not from a - `.gitignore` file). - - - Otherwise, Git treats the pattern as a shell glob: "`*`" matches - anything except "`/`", "`?`" matches any one character except "`/`" - and "`[]`" matches one character in a selected range. See - fnmatch(3) and the FNM_PATHNAME flag for a more detailed - description. - - - A leading slash matches the beginning of the pathname. - For example, "/{asterisk}.c" matches "cat-file.c" but not - "mozilla-sha1/sha1.c". + - The slash '/' is used as the directory separator. Separators may + occur at the beginning, middle or end of the `.gitignore` search pattern. + + - If there is a separator at the beginning or middle (or both) of the + pattern, then the pattern is relative to the directory level of the + particular `.gitignore` file itself. Otherwise the pattern may also + match at any level below the `.gitignore` level. + + - If there is a separator at the end of the pattern then the pattern + will only match directories, otherwise the pattern can match both + files and directories. + + - For example, a pattern `doc/frotz/` matches `doc/frotz` directory, + but not `a/doc/frotz` directory; however `frotz/` matches `frotz` + and `a/frotz` that is a directory (all paths are relative from + the `.gitignore` file). + + - An asterisk "`*`" matches anything except a slash. + The character "`?`" matches any one character except "`/`". + The range notation, e.g. `[a-zA-Z]`, can be used to match + one of the characters in a range. See fnmatch(3) and the + FNM_PATHNAME flag for a more detailed description. Two consecutive asterisks ("`**`") in patterns matched against full pathname may have special meaning: @@ -152,6 +152,28 @@ To stop tracking a file that is currently tracked, use EXAMPLES -------- + - The pattern `hello.*` matches any file or folder + whose name begins with `hello`. If one wants to restrict + this only to the directory and not in its subdirectories, + one can prepend the pattern with a slash, i.e. `/hello.*`; + the pattern now matches `hello.txt`, `hello.c` but not + `a/hello.java`. + + - The pattern `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) + + - The pattern `doc/frotz` and `/doc/frotz` have the same effect + in any `.gitignore` file. In other words, a leading slash + is not relevant if there is already a middle slash in + the pattern. + + - The pattern "foo/*", matches "foo/test.json" + (a regular file), "foo/bar" (a directory), but it does not match + "foo/bar/hello.c" (a regular file), as the asterisk in the + pattern does not match "bar/hello.c" which has a slash in it. + -------------------------------------------------------------- $ git status [...]
-- 2.17.1
