Re: [PATCH 4/6] t1419: mark test suite as files-backend specific

[Eric Sunshine <sunshine@sunshineco.com>]

On Tue, Jan 9, 2024 at 7:17 AM Patrick Steinhardt <ps@pks.im> wrote:
> With 59c35fac54 (refs/packed-backend.c: implement jump lists to avoid
> excluded pattern(s), 2023-07-10) we have implemented logic to handle
> excluded refs more efficiently in the "packed" ref backend. This logic
> allows us to skip emitting refs completely which we know to not be of
> any interest to the caller, which can avoid quite some allocaitons and
> object lookups.

s/allocaitons/allocations/

> This was wired up via a new `exclude_patterns` parameter passed to the
> backend's ref iterator. The backend only needs to handle them on a best
> effort basis though, and in fact we only handle it for the "packed-refs"
> file, but not for loose references. Consequentially, all callers must
> still filter emitted refs with those exclude patterns.

s/Consequentially/Consequently/

> The result is that handling exclude patterns is completely optional in
> the ref backend, and any future backends may or may not implement it.
> Let's thus mark the test for t1419 to depend on the REFFILES prereq.

This change seems to be abusing the meaning of the REFFILES
prerequisite. Instead the above description argues for introduction of
a new prerequisite which indicates whether or not the backend honors
the exclude patterns. Or, am I misunderstanding this?