Re: [PATCH] pathspec: rename per-item field has_wildcard to use_wildcard

On Thu, Apr 7, 2011 at 12:13 AM, Junio C Hamano [off-list ref] wrote:

The extensible syntax I have in mind (we only parse in get_pathspec() in
such a tentative version but anything other than the :/ will error out) is
to use:

 (1) Colon, a run of selected non-alpha (i.e. magic signature), an
    optional colon to terminate the magic signature, followed by the
    path, e.g.

    - ":/hello.c" is a path from the top.

    - ":!/hello.c" is path from the top but no globbing.

    - ":/!hello.c" is the same as above.

    - ":/::hello.c" is ":hello.c" from the top, the second colon
      terminates the magic signature and allows the funny file with a
      leading colon to be named.

    - "::hello.c" does not have any magic, is the same as "hello.c".

What about ":hello.c", same as "hello.c"? I think we need to reserve
some more characters for future extension. The selected set of magic
in your patch misses my favourite negate magic :)

By the way, I think we should use a better term than "magic". Pathspec modifier?

 (2) Colon, open parenthesis, a comma separated list of words to name
    magic, close parenthesis, followed by the path, e.g. these are the
    long-hand counterparts to the examples in (1)

    - ":(top)hello.c"
    - ":(top,noglob)hello.c"
    - ":(noglob,top)hello.c"
    - ":(noglob,top):hello.c"
    - ":()hello.c"

Can we mix short and long magic? It seems impossible in your patch. I
don't know if that's the intention.

At this point, I am not interested in building the repertoire of magic
yet, but would want to nail a syntax that is

 - concise in common cases (e.g. "from the top, not a funny name" is ':/'
  followed by the name);
 - is extensible in the future; and
 - easy to parse and error out on magic we do not understand.

-- 
Duy