git@vger.kernel.org mailing list mirror (one of many)
 help / color / mirror / code / Atom feed
From: Elliott Mitchell <ehem+git-scm@m5p.com>
To: git@vger.kernel.org
Subject: fast-import interface issues
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 15:18:02 -0700	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <ZhhhmvjuYfWc535m@mattapan.m5p.com> (raw)

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.


-- 
(\___(\___(\______          --=> 8-) EHM <=--          ______/)___/)___/)
 \BS (    |         ehem+sigmsg@m5p.com  PGP 87145445         |    )   /
  \_CS\   |  _____  -O #include <stddisclaimer.h> O-   _____  |   /  _/
8A19\___\_|_/58D2 7E3D DDF4 7BA6 <-PGP-> 41D1 B375 37D0 8714\_|_/___/5445




                 reply	other threads:[~2024-04-11 22:34 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: [no followups] expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed

Reply instructions:

You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:

* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
  and reply-to-all from there: mbox

  Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style

  List information: http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html

* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
  switches of git-send-email(1):

  git send-email \
    --in-reply-to=ZhhhmvjuYfWc535m@mattapan.m5p.com \
    --to=ehem+git-scm@m5p.com \
    --cc=git@vger.kernel.org \
    /path/to/YOUR_REPLY

  https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html

* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
  via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line before the message body.
Code repositories for project(s) associated with this public inbox

	https://80x24.org/mirrors/git.git

This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox;
as well as URLs for read-only IMAP folder(s) and NNTP newsgroup(s).