[RFC]: Pack-file object format for individual objects (Was: Revisiting large binary files issue.)

[sf <sf@b-i-t.de>]

Linus Torvalds wrote:
...
> The problem is that the individual object disk format isn't actually the 
> same as the pack-file object format for one object. The header is 
> different: a pack-file uses a very dense bit packing, while the individual 
> object format is a bit less dense.

I just stumbled over the same fact and asked myself why there are still
two formats. Wouldn't it make more sense to use the pack-file object
format for individual objects as well?

As it happens individual objects all start with nibble 7 (deflated with
default _zlib_ window size of 32K) whereas in the pack-file object
format nibble 7 indicates delta entries which never occur as individual
files.

Roadmap for using pack-file format as individual object disk format:

Step 1. When reading individual objects from disk check the first nibble
and decode accordingly (see above).

Step 2. When writing individual objects to disk write them in pack-file
object format. Make that optional (config-file parameter, command line
option etc.)?

Step 3. Remove code for (old) individual object disk format.

Please comment.

Regards
	Stephan