Re: [PATCH 00/15] submodule groups (once again)

Stefan Beller [off-list ref] writes:

What is this series about?
==========================

If you have lots of submodules, you probably don't need all of them at once, 
but you have functional units. Some submodules are absolutely required, 
some are optional and only for very specific purposes. 

This patch series adds labels to submodules in the .gitmodules file. 

So you could have a .gitmodules file such as: 

[submodule "gcc"] 
        path = gcc 
        url = git://... 
        label = default
        label = devel 
[submodule "linux"] 
        path = linux 
        url = git://... 
        label = default 
[submodule "nethack"] 
        path = nethack 
        url = git://... 
        label = optional
        label = games 

and by this series you can work on an arbitrary group of these submodules
composed by the labels, names or paths of the submodules.

    git clone --recurse-submodules --init-submodule=label --init-submodule=label2   git://... 
    # will clone the superproject and recursively 
    # checkout any submodule being labeled label or label2
    
    git submodule add --label <name> git://... ..
    # record a label while adding a submodule
    
    git config submodule.defaultGroups default
    git config --add submodule.defaultGroups devel
    # configure which submodules you are interested in.
    
    git submodule update
    # update only the submodules in the default group if that is configured.
    
    git status
    git diff
    git submodule summary
    # show only changes to submodules which are in the default group.

Nicely designed.