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bpo-37936: Systematically distinguish rooted vs. unrooted in .gitignore. #1
Conversation
One root cause of bpo-37936 is that it's easy to write a .gitignore rule that's intended to apply to a specific file (e.g., the `pyconfig.h` generated by `./configure`) but actually applies to all similarly-named files in the tree (e.g., `PC/pyconfig.h`.) Specifically, any rule with no non-trailing slashes is applied in an "unrooted" way, to files anywhere in the tree. This means that if we write the rules in the most obvious-looking way, then * for specific files we want to ignore that happen to be in subdirectories (like `Modules/config.c`), the rule will work as intended, staying "rooted" to the top of the tree; but * when a specific file we want to ignore happens to be at the root of the repo (like `platform`), then the obvious rule (`platform`) will apply much more broadly than intended: if someone tries to add a file or directory named `platform` somewhere else in the tree, it will unexpectedly get ignored. That's surprising behavior that can make the .gitignore file's behavior feel finicky and unpredictable. To avoid it, we can simply always give a rule "rooted" behavior when that's what's intended, by systematically using leading slashes. Further, to help make the pattern obvious when looking at the file and minimize any need for thinking about the syntax when adding new rules, separate the rules into one group for each type, with brief comments identifying them. For most of these rules it's clear whether they're meant to be rooted or unrooted, but in a handful of cases I've only guessed. In that case the safer default (the choice that won't hide information) is the narrower, rooted meaning, with a leading slash. If for some of these the unrooted meaning is desired after all, it'll be easy to move them to the unrooted section at the top.
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(Sent as python#15823, now that the preceding commit in python#15451 has been merged.) |
One root cause of bpo-37936 is that it's easy to write a .gitignore
rule that's intended to apply to a specific file (e.g., the
pyconfig.hgenerated by./configure) but actually applies to allsimilarly-named files in the tree (e.g.,
PC/pyconfig.h.)Specifically, any rule with no non-trailing slashes is applied in an
"unrooted" way, to files anywhere in the tree. This means that if we
write the rules in the most obvious-looking way, then
for specific files we want to ignore that happen to be in
subdirectories (like
Modules/config.c), the rule will workas intended, staying "rooted" to the top of the tree; but
when a specific file we want to ignore happens to be at the root of
the repo (like
platform), then the obvious rule (platform) willapply much more broadly than intended: if someone tries to add a
file or directory named
platformsomewhere else in the tree, itwill unexpectedly get ignored.
That's surprising behavior that can make the .gitignore file's
behavior feel finicky and unpredictable.
To avoid it, we can simply always give a rule "rooted" behavior when
that's what's intended, by systematically using leading slashes.
Further, to help make the pattern obvious when looking at the file and
minimize any need for thinking about the syntax when adding new rules,
separate the rules into one group for each type, with brief comments
identifying them.
For most of these rules it's clear whether they're meant to be rooted
or unrooted, but in a handful of cases I've only guessed. In that
case the safer default (the choice that won't hide information) is the
narrower, rooted meaning, with a leading slash. If for some of these
the unrooted meaning is desired after all, it'll be easy to move them
to the unrooted section at the top.