Re: [PATCH 0/3] cat-file: add %(objectmode) avoid verifying submodules' OIDs

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

"Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
writes:

> The cat-file --batch command is very valuable in server settings, but so far
> it is missing a bit of functionality that would come in handy there.
>
> For example, it is sometimes necessary to determine the object mode of a
> batch of tree objects' children.

OK.

It is somewhat unsatisfying that --batch/--batch-check lacks so
much.  Even with %(objectmode) its nature of one-object-at-a-time
makes querying children of a large tree a chore, when you compare it
with something like "cat-file -p HEAD:" that allows you to grab the
needed information for all children with a single invocation.

This is orthogonal to what the patch wants to do, which is to enrich
the output side with more formatting, bit I wonder if we want to
consider enriching the input side?  e.g. instead of feeding just a
single object name from the standard input of "cat-file
--batch/--batch-check", perhaps a syntax can say "Here I have the
object name for a tree-ish object, but please pretend that I gave
you all the objects contained within it", or something?

Thanks, will queue.