Re: Basename matching during rename/copy detection

On Thursday 2007 June 21, Junio C Hamano wrote:

Having many "identical files" in the preimage is just stupid to
begin with (if you know they are identical, why are you storing
copies, instead of your build procedure to reuse the same file),
so the algorithm did not bother finding a better match among
"equals".

That's a really poor argument; it's not git's place to impose restrictions on 
what is stored in it.

What if it's not a build environment at all but a home directory that's being 
stored - should no one be allowed to store copies of files because 
it's "stupid"?  What if it's a collection of images that all started out the 
same, but have gradually had detail added (which is actually what I do in my 
GUI programs for toolbar images)?  What about files that are used as flags, 
and are all identically empty.

None of those seems like an abuse of a VCS to me.  In fact, I'd say it's one 
of git's strengths that a duplicate file in the working tree doesn't take up 
any extra space in the repository.


Andy

-- 
Dr Andy Parkins, M Eng (hons), MIET
andyparkins@gmail.com