[PATCH] Added description for reversing git-update-index using --index-info

[PATCH] Added description for reversing git-update-index using --index-info

[Andy Parkins]

I wanted to restore a single file from HEAD back to the index; Shawn Pearce
gave me the answer.  git-ls-tree piped to git-update-index --index-info.

This patch adds that answer to the git-update-index documentation.

Signed-off-by: Andy Parkins <andyparkins@gmail.com>
---
 Documentation/git-update-index.txt |   18 ++++++++++++++++++
 1 files changed, 18 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/git-update-index.txt b/Documentation/git-update-index.txt
index 41bb7e1..5adf717 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-update-index.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-update-index.txt
@@ -215,6 +215,24 @@ for that path.  After the above, we woul
 100755 8a1218a1024a212bb3db30becd860315f9f3ac52 2	frotz
 ------------
 
+One particular use of --index-info is to reverse the effect of
+"git-update-index frotz":
+
+------------
+git ls-tree HEAD frotz | git update-index --index-info
+------------
+
+This makes the index hold the file frotz from HEAD rather than from the
+working copy.  Similarly:
+
+------------
+git ls-tree -r HEAD | git update-index --index-info
+------------
+
+Will undo everything except "git add" from the index, as
+"git-ls-tree -r" lists everything in the last commit.
+
+
 
 Using "assume unchanged" bit
 ----------------------------
-- 
1.4.3.2

Re: [PATCH] Added description for reversing git-update-index using --index-info

[Junio C Hamano]

Andy Parkins <andyparkins@gmail.com> writes:

> +One particular use of --index-info is to reverse the effect of
> +"git-update-index frotz":
> +
> +------------
> +git ls-tree HEAD frotz | git update-index --index-info
> +------------
> +
> +This makes the index hold the file frotz from HEAD rather than from the
> +working copy.

Up to this point is good, but I am unhappy about the next example.

> +------------
> +git ls-tree -r HEAD | git update-index --index-info
> +------------
> +
> +Will undo everything except "git add" from the index, as
> +"git-ls-tree -r" lists everything in the last commit.

While this is correct in the mechanical sense, it _sucks_ as an
example, especially since you do not mention that the user would
most likely need to do 'git update-index --refresh' afterwards
to make the result useful.

Re: [PATCH] Added description for reversing git-update-index using --index-info

[Andy Parkins]

On Friday 2006 November 03 02:40, Junio C Hamano wrote:

> > +git ls-tree -r HEAD | git update-index --index-info
>
> While this is correct in the mechanical sense, it _sucks_ as an
> example, especially since you do not mention that the user would
> most likely need to do 'git update-index --refresh' afterwards
> to make the result useful.

I'm happy to ditch it if you wish; I included it only because it was one of 
the examples that Shawn gave me in my original question.

Would you like a new patch?


Andy

-- 
Dr Andy Parkins, M Eng (hons), MIEE