Re: Git Questions

[Tom Schinckel <gunny01@gmail.com>]

On Mon, 2007-08-20 at 13:23 +0200, David Kågedal wrote:
> Tom Schinckel <gunny01@gmail.com> writes:
> 
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I've just started using git to run a repository on my local machine. I'm
> > wondering about the following questions:
> 
> You seem to have a very strange use case that you need to explain
> better.

What I'm using it for is to essentially create a history of various
documents and other files that I'm creating. So if I accidently delete
something or want to make a major change in the direction of an essay or
the like. 

(If anyone reads Linux Format, there was an article about a year ago
about "Subverting your Home Directory". I'm doing a similar thing, but
with git)

> 
> > Is it possible to change the revision numbers from long hashes to normal
> > numbers (i.e, 0001 for first, 0002 for the second)
> 
> There are no "revision numbers" in git.  There is only content.  The
> history of commits is created by having one commit point to its
> "parent" commit.  And in git, everything is addressed by its content,
> by using hashes.  So the long hash is a universal identifier for what
> it refers to.  It is not a revision number in your repository, it is
> something that can be used by someone else who hasn't even heard of yo
> to refer to exactly the same thing.
> 
> So, no you can't change that.  But there might be something else that
> you can do if you explain what you're actually after?
> 

Gotcha.

> > Can I set up Git to:
> >
> > a) Automatically commit a file to the repository every time it's saved
> 
> Probably, but remember that git doesn't track individual files.  It
> tracks the whole tree, so you would be creating a new revision of the
> whole tree every time you saved that single file.  Which would not
> create a very nice history if you are using git for something it
> usually is used for (tracking source code etc).
> 
> > b) Automatically use the default hashed-out bit:
> >
> > 	# Please enter the commit message for your changes.
> > 	# (Comment lines starting with '#' will not be included)
> > 	# Updated but not checked in:
> > 	#   (will commit)
> > 	#
> > 	#       modified:   TOK/bce.abw
> > 	#
> > 	# Untracked files:
> > 	#   (use "git add" to add to commit)
> > 	#
> > 	#       TOK/bce.abw.bak~
> >
> > as the commit message? (i.e, remove the hash signs and not bring up vim
> > in the first place?)
> 
> Why on earth would you want to do that?  That comment doesn't contain
> any information about what change you committed?  The list of files
> that were modified by the commit is already in git.

The reason I want to do that is so I can set up blind commits that I can
add in a anacron job or something. The information about the files isn't
really important

Thanks for the help: I'm using git in a uncoventional way. 

tom