Re: Git archive and trailing "/" in prefix

Sergio Callegari [off-list ref] writes:

The git-archive man page indicates that if the --prefix option is passed to
git-archive, it is compulsory to end the prefix with a "/"

No, it does not have to.

	$ git archive --prefix=v1.6.0- v1.6.0 Makefile | tar xf -
	$ make -f v1.6.0-Makefile

This is consistent with the way the same --prefix option can be used with
checkout-index.  e.g. to swap Makefile in work tree and in the index:

	$ edit Makefile
	$ git checkout-index --prefix=old- Makefile
	$ git update-index Makefile
        $ mv old-Makefile Makefile

These may or may not be useful examples, but this feature has been with us
for a long time.  I wouldn't be surprised if removing the ability to
archive or checkout with filename prefix (not leading directory path
prefix) causes grief to existing scripts of people.