Re: [PATCH] sparse-checkout: avoid staging deletions of all files

Derrick Stolee [off-list ref] writes:

So maybe be purposeful and include the -a option and expect only the
.git dir (along with . and ..)?

Something like:

	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
	.
	..
	.git
	EOF
	ls -a clone_no_checkout >actual &&
	test_cmp expect actual &&

Is it guaranteed that everybody has dot and dot-dot in their
directory?  

  https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/ls.html

has this to describe the "-A" option:

    Write out all directory entries, including those whose names
    begin with a <period> ( '.' ) but excluding the entries dot and
    dot-dot (if they exist).

whose "if they exist" scares me ;-)