On 2009-02-25, Junio C Hamano <gitster@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Sitaram Chamarty <sitaramc@xxxxxxxxx> writes: >> This is _how_ the patterns match: >> >> - The wildcards (`*` and `?`) do not match slashes, but >> otherwise the patterns are normal shell globs as defined >> by fnmatch(3) with the FNM_PATHNAME flag set. > > I had to read this twice and run "man 3 fnmatch" to clear my head. > > - In normal shell globs, wildcards '*' and '?' do not match slashes; > > - fnmatch(3) with FNM_PATHNAME implements the normal shell globs; > > - wildcards do not match slashes in gitignore either. > > Given these three, I am very confused why you say "but otherwise". I > would understand it if it were: > > The patterns are treated as normal shell globs defined by fnmatch(3) with > FNM_PATHNAME; in other words, the wildcards (`*` and `?`) do not match > slashes. I'll use that. This confusing statement existed in the previous (shorter) version also. My fault; I use [[ path == patt ]] far more often than plain globs so I had a thinko. (Perversely, that one does *not* use FNM_PATHNAME... go figure!) >> - An optional prefix '!' negates the pattern; any matching >> file excluded by a previous pattern will become included >> again. If a negated pattern matches, this will override >> lower precedence patterns sources. > > '!' is not part of _how_ the patterns match. It is _what happens_ when a > pattern marked as such matches (meaning, the syntax for a line in > gitignore file is "an optional '!' followed by a pattern"). > > An optional prefix '!' is not a part of the pattern and it does not > affect the match. When a path matches such a pattern, instead of > being ignored, it is unignored. I can use this. Can we keep it in the same section, despite being technically not a '_how_'? It fits the other sections even less, and the sectioning is the main thing in all this. > It would be good to clarify that '!' is not part of the pattern, as I'd > like to take J6t's patch that says gitattributes uses the same pattern as > gitignore uses. > >> This is _what_ the patterns match: >> >> - If the pattern ends with a slash, it matches only >> directories (and their contents), otherwise it matches >> regular files and symlinks also. > > Do we want "(and their contents)" here? Once a directory is ignored like > this, none of its contents, including .gitignore file in it, is examined > because we do not even descend into it. Do we not want to specify that we don't descend? The original text does say '...will match a directory foo and paths underneath it'. >> This is _where_ the patterns match (a trailing slash is >> ignored for these rules): >> >> - If there is a slash at the start or within the pattern, >> it matches paths relative to the .gitignore file in which >> the pattern is found, or to the root of the working tree >> if the pattern is from one of the other pattern sources >> (i.e., `.git/info/exclude`, `core.excludesfile`) > > "at the start or within but not at the end of the pattern"? Isn't that confusing? 'if there is a slash ... not at the end of the pattern' can easily sound like "there *should not* be a trailing slash", which is quite different from "we don't care if there *is* a trailing slash; it's the *other* slashes that matter here". And it'll _seem to_ contradict what we say, just above, that a trailing slash is ignored for these rules. > >> - Otherwise, it matches a path at any depth in the tree -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe git" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
