# fast-import interface issues

1 messages from 2024-04-11 to 2024-04-11. Participants: Elliott Mitchell.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/61311

## Elliott Mitchell, 2024-04-11 22:18

Subject: fast-import interface issues
Message-ID: <ZhhhmvjuYfWc535m@mattapan.m5p.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/ZhhhmvjuYfWc535m%40mattapan.m5p.com

```
I've ended up trying to use `git fast-import` for a task and have ended
up observing issues with the current interface.

First item, why is there no -0 option?  Due to any string being a valid
filename, most Unix utilities have evolved a -0 option (sometimes other
characters).  `find -print0`, `xargs -0`, `grep -z`, `grep -Z`,
`tar -T --null`.  Yet there is no `git fast-import -0`.  I suspect this
could work better with unusual filenames.

Second, forced use of quotes for 'ls' SP <path> LF seems a poor choice.
Using the empty string as a dataref or the mark of the WIP commit seem
better choices.  In particular 'ls' SP SP <path> \0 could be readily
distinguished from a sha1 or other existing data references.

Third, why is 'cat-blob' limited to blob data?  `cat-file --batch` isn't
limited to blobs, so why is `fast-import`'s equivalent so limited?

Alas, I'm already involved in too many things at once and cannot hope to
implement these myself.  Yet they do seem obvious limitations in what
`git fast-import` can be used for.


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