Re: [PATCH] v2: proxy-command support for git://

On Fri, 4 Nov 2005, Paul Collins wrote:

 * If the git config syntax is extended to allow dots in section or
   key names:

     [proxy]
     git.kernel.org = "ssh-to-bastion-proxy-command"
     git.blargco.com = "blargco-proxy-command"

I would suggest

	[proxy]
		command = "ssh-to-bastion-proxy-command" for git.kernel.org

and then it's easy enough to just parse the value "proxy.command" with 
code like

	host = value;
	cmd = strstr(value, " for ");
	if (!cmd)
		return -1;
	*cmd = 0;
	cmd += 5;

which would do the right thing..

The thing is, it's not just ".". I could well imagine that you'd have

	[proxy]
		command="ssh" for "ssh://kernel.org/"
		command="proxy-command" for kernel.org
		command="myprotocol-command" for "my://"

which would actually allow you to literally add your own protocol names 
(it would see that the target starts with "my://", and decide that it 
shoul drun the "myprotocol-command" for the proxy).

I'd rather allow free-form strings for the values than for the key names. 
If we allow free-form key-names, then random text files suddenly often 
become valid (but strange) config files.

Right now the non-free-form key names are the strongest syntax checker of 
the whole protocol.

		Linus