David Turner <dturner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
>> Hmm, I would find it easier to read if it were:
>>
>> ... if (lstat(dst, &st) == 0 &&
>> !(ignore_case && !strcasecmp(src, dst))) {
>>
>> That is, "it is an error for dst to exist, unless we are on a case
>> insensitive filesystem and src and dst refer to the same file.", but
>> maybe it is just me.
>
> I personally dislike the double negative. I also considered breaking it
> out into a little function with a self-documenting name -- does that
> sound better?
No, it shows that it is just me. I did not say that the original is
unreadable.
>> More importantly, what is the end-user visible effect of this
>> change? Is it fair to summarize it like this?
>>
>> On a case-insensitive filesystem, "mv hello.txt Hello.txt"
>> always trigger the "dst already exists" error, because both
>> names refer to the same file to MS-DOS, requiring the user to
> ^^^^^^
> (I have not actually tested on Windows; I tested on the Mac since that's
> what I have handy)
>
>> pass the "--force" option. Allow it without "--force".
>
> Yes.
>
>> Overwriting an existing file with "mv hello.txt Hello.txt" on a case
>> sensitive filesystem *is* an unusual operation, and that is the
>> reason why we require "--force" to make sure that the user means it.
>> I have a slight suspicion that the same "mv hello.txt Hello.txt" on
>> a case insensitive filesystem, where two names are known (to the end
>> user of such a filesystem) to refer to the same path would equally
>> be a very unusual thing to do, and such an operation may deserve a
>> similar safety precaution to make sure that the user really meant to
>> do so by requiring "--force".
>>
>> So, I dunno.
>
> The argument against --force is that git's behavior should not
> significantly differ between sensitive and insensitive filesystems
> (where possible). I do not see a case-changing rename as unusual on a
> case-insensitive filesystem; these filesystems typically preserve case,
> and a user might reasonably care about the case of a filename either for
> aesthetic reasons or for functionality on sensible filesystems (e.g.
> developers who work on Macs but deploy on GNU/Linux, as is quite
> common).
>
> The Mac's interface itself provides conflicting evidence: on one hand,
> we might expect git mv to work like plain mv: nothing special is needed
> to do a case-changing mv). On the other hand, in the Finder, attempting
> a case-changing rename causes an error message (which there is no way to
> get around other than the two-rename dance). I read this as "ordinary
> users never intentionally change the case of files, but developers
> sometimes do", but that's not the only possible reading.
>
> I myself am not actually a Mac user; I simply support a bunch of Mac
> users (which is where the merge bug came from). So I don't know what
> Mac users would prefer. Maybe there are some on the git mailing list?
>
> I also have not tried on Windows. I put in an email to the one
> Windows-using friend I can think of to ask her to give Windows Explorer
> (or whatever it's called these days) a try. My guess (based on a quick
> Google search) would be is that it works without error, but I will send
> an update if I hear otherwise.
Alright. Thanks for sanity checking.
I've already queued your patch as-is when I was composing the
message you responded to and today's integration cycle is already
going, so unless other people have ideas to convince us both that
this is a bad idea, all is well without any further action.
Thanks.
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