Re: [PATCH 1/2] builtin/sparse-checkout: remove NEED_WORK_TREE flag

[Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>]

"William Sprent via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com> writes:

> In preparation for adding a sub-command to 'sparse-checkout' that can be
> run in a bare repository, remove the 'NEED_WORK_TREE' flag from its
> entry in the 'commands' array of 'git.c'.

Given that "sparse-checkout" is about affecting which part of the
directory hierarchies are to be materialized in the working tree,
the idea to add a subcommand that does not require a working tree to
the command by itself smells very iffy, and the changes necessary to
protect the existing commands from the breakage caused by the
decision to drop NEED_WORK_TREE bit, i.e. sprinkling many
setup_work_tree() calls, somehow looks like they are solving a
problem that did not have to get created in the first place.

But you did not find a place the feature you wanted to add with
[2/2] would fit better, perhaps, in which case, somebody else may be
able to suggest an alternative in their reviews of that step,
hopefully.