# [PATCH] t0004: replace test -e with test_path_exists 2 messages from 2026-03-09 to 2026-03-09. Participants: PRASHANT S BISHT, Eric Sunshine. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/65182 ## PRASHANT S BISHT, 2026-03-09 17:56 Subject: [PATCH] t0004: replace test -e with test_path_exists Message-ID: <20260309175621.32211-1-prashantjee2025@gmail.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20260309175621.32211-1-prashantjee2025%40gmail.com ``` Replace old-style path existence checks with the modern test_path_exists helper function that provides clearer diagnostic messages on failure. When test -e fails, the output gives no indication of what went wrong. These instances were found using: git grep "test -[efd]" t/ | grep -v "if test" as suggested in the microproject ideas. Signed-off-by: PRASHANT S BISHT --- t/t0004-unwritable.sh | 8 ++++---- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-) diff --git a/t/t0004-unwritable.sh b/t/t0004-unwritable.sh index 3bdafbae0f..2a9fc781b6 100755 --- a/t/t0004-unwritable.sh +++ b/t/t0004-unwritable.sh @@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM,SANITY 'write-tree should notice unwritable reposi test_must_fail git write-tree 2>out.write-tree ' -test_lazy_prereq WRITE_TREE_OUT 'test -e "$TRASH_DIRECTORY"/out.write-tree' +test_lazy_prereq WRITE_TREE_OUT 'test_path_exists "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/out.write-tree"' test_expect_success WRITE_TREE_OUT 'write-tree output on unwritable repository' ' cat >expect <<-\EOF && error: insufficient permission for adding an object to repository database .git/objects @@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM,SANITY 'commit should notice unwritable repository test_must_fail git commit -m second 2>out.commit ' -test_lazy_prereq COMMIT_OUT 'test -e "$TRASH_DIRECTORY"/out.commit' +test_lazy_prereq COMMIT_OUT 'test_path_exists "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/out.commit"' test_expect_success COMMIT_OUT 'commit output on unwritable repository' ' cat >expect <<-\EOF && error: insufficient permission for adding an object to repository database .git/objects @@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM,SANITY 'update-index should notice unwritable repo test_must_fail git update-index file 2>out.update-index ' -test_lazy_prereq UPDATE_INDEX_OUT 'test -e "$TRASH_DIRECTORY"/out.update-index' +test_lazy_prereq UPDATE_INDEX_OUT 'test_path_exists "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/out.update-index"' test_expect_success UPDATE_INDEX_OUT 'update-index output on unwritable repository' ' cat >expect <<-\EOF && error: insufficient permission for adding an object to repository database .git/objects @@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM,SANITY 'add should notice unwritable repository' ' test_must_fail git add file 2>out.add ' -test_lazy_prereq ADD_OUT 'test -e "$TRASH_DIRECTORY"/out.add' +test_lazy_prereq ADD_OUT 'test_path_exists "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/out.add"' test_expect_success ADD_OUT 'add output on unwritable repository' ' cat >expect <<-\EOF && error: insufficient permission for adding an object to repository database .git/objects -- 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155) ``` ## Eric Sunshine, 2026-03-09 19:30 Subject: Re: [PATCH] t0004: replace test -e with test_path_exists Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAPig%2BcSp1634HVrj6qVfRodR%3DJ3UubYa_aa32JJSTCe1u2NwDA%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: <20260309175621.32211-1-prashantjee2025@gmail.com> ``` On Mon, Mar 9, 2026 at 2:02 PM PRASHANT S BISHT wrote: > Replace old-style path existence checks with the modern test_path_exists > helper function that provides clearer diagnostic messages on failure. > When test -e fails, the output gives no indication of what went wrong. > > These instances were found using: > > git grep "test -[efd]" t/ | grep -v "if test" > > as suggested in the microproject ideas. > > Signed-off-by: PRASHANT S BISHT > --- > diff --git a/t/t0004-unwritable.sh b/t/t0004-unwritable.sh > @@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM,SANITY 'write-tree should notice unwritable reposi > -test_lazy_prereq WRITE_TREE_OUT 'test -e "$TRASH_DIRECTORY"/out.write-tree' > +test_lazy_prereq WRITE_TREE_OUT 'test_path_exists "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/out.write-tree"' > @@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM,SANITY 'commit should notice unwritable repository > -test_lazy_prereq COMMIT_OUT 'test -e "$TRASH_DIRECTORY"/out.commit' > +test_lazy_prereq COMMIT_OUT 'test_path_exists "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/out.commit"' > @@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM,SANITY 'update-index should notice unwritable repo > -test_lazy_prereq UPDATE_INDEX_OUT 'test -e "$TRASH_DIRECTORY"/out.update-index' > +test_lazy_prereq UPDATE_INDEX_OUT 'test_path_exists "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/out.update-index"' > @@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM,SANITY 'add should notice unwritable repository' ' > -test_lazy_prereq ADD_OUT 'test -e "$TRASH_DIRECTORY"/out.add' > +test_lazy_prereq ADD_OUT 'test_path_exists "$TRASH_DIRECTORY/out.add"' I'm afraid you chose instances of `test -e` which should not be converted to `test_path_exists`. If you're not familiar with Git's test "prereq" facility, then it is not obvious, but each of these uses of `test -e` is, in fact, used for control-flow rather than being used to assert some truth. Hence, these changes run afoul of point #3 under the "Modernize Test Path Checking in Git’s Test Suite" item on the SoC microproject ideas page[*]. Please try converting some other cases in some other test script. [*]: https://git.github.io/SoC-2026-Microprojects/ ```