Re: [PATCH GSoC 5/5] cat-file: unify default format

["Pablo Sabater" <pabloosabaterr@gmail.com>]

On Wed Jul 29, 2026 at 11:59 AM CEST, Chandra Pratap wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Jul 2026 at 17:25, Pablo Sabater <pabloosabaterr@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> %(objecttype) is supported both by the client and by the server.
>> Change the temporary default format to the unified version that other
>> commands use.
>
> s/other/the other

Will fix thanks.

>
>> Update documentation to remove %(objecttype) from the caveats of
>> remote-object-info.
>>
>> Update tests that used the default format to expect type.
>
> Not super accurate. We're updating the tests to expect the new default
> format.

I will reword it to something like:

Now that type is supported and the default format unified, update the
tests to expect the new default format.

>
>> Update documentation to show %(objecttype) support.
>>
>> Mentored-by: Karthik Nayak <karthik.188@gmail.com>
>> Mentored-by: Chandra Pratap <chandrapratap3519@gmail.com>
>> Signed-off-by: Pablo Sabater <pabloosabaterr@gmail.com>
>> ---
>>  Documentation/git-cat-file.adoc        | 17 ++++-----
>>  Documentation/gitprotocol-v2.adoc      | 15 ++++++--
>>  builtin/cat-file.c                     |  7 ----
>>  t/t1017-cat-file-remote-object-info.sh | 70 ++++++++++++----------------------
>>  4 files changed, 42 insertions(+), 67 deletions(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/Documentation/git-cat-file.adoc b/Documentation/git-cat-file.adoc
>> index ac3b528c6f..514bfc0032 100644
>> --- a/Documentation/git-cat-file.adoc
>> +++ b/Documentation/git-cat-file.adoc
>> @@ -348,15 +348,12 @@ newline. The available atoms are:
>>         after that first run of whitespace (i.e., the "rest" of the
>>         line) are output in place of the `%(rest)` atom.
>>
>> -The command `remote-object-info` only supports the `%(objectname)` and
>> -`%(objectsize)` placeholders. See `CAVEATS` below for more information.
>> +The command `remote-object-info` only supports the `%(objectname)`,
>> +`%(objectsize)` and `%(objecttype)` placeholders. See `CAVEATS` below for more
>> +information.
>>
>>  If no format is specified, the default format is `%(objectname)
>> -%(objecttype) %(objectsize)`, except for `remote-object-info` commands which
>> -use `%(objectname) %(objectsize)` because `%(objecttype)` is not supported yet.
>> -
>> -WARNING: When "%(objecttype)" is supported, the default format WILL be unified,
>> -so DO NOT RELY on the current default format to stay the same!!!
>> +%(objecttype) %(objectsize)`.
>>
>>  If `--batch` is specified, or if `--batch-command` is used with the `contents`
>>  command, the object information is followed by the object contents (consisting
>> @@ -453,9 +450,9 @@ scripting purposes.
>>  CAVEATS
>>  -------
>>
>> -Note that only `%(objectname)` and `%(objectsize)` are currently
>> -supported by the `remote-object-info` command. Using any other placeholder in
>> -the format string will return an empty string in its position.
>> +Note that only `%(objectname)`, `%(objectsize)` and `%(objecttype)` are
>> +currently supported by the `remote-object-info` command. Using any other
>> +placeholder in the format string will return an empty string in its position.
>>
>>  Note that the sizes of objects on disk are reported accurately, but care
>>  should be taken in drawing conclusions about which refs or objects are
>> diff --git a/Documentation/gitprotocol-v2.adoc b/Documentation/gitprotocol-v2.adoc
>> index 7bf62014c3..de4bfb776e 100644
>> --- a/Documentation/gitprotocol-v2.adoc
>> +++ b/Documentation/gitprotocol-v2.adoc
>> @@ -558,14 +558,17 @@ object-info
>>
>>  `object-info` is the command to retrieve information about one or more objects.
>>  Its main purpose is to allow a client to make decisions based on this
>> -information without having to fully fetch objects. Object size is the only
>> -information that is currently supported.
>> +information without having to fully fetch objects. Object size and type are the
>> +only information that is currently supported.
>
> s/is currently/are currently

Will fix.

>
>>  An `object-info` request takes the following arguments:
>>
>>         size
>>         Requests size information to be returned for each listed object id.
>>
>> +       type
>> +       Requests type information to be returned for each listed object id.
>> +
>>         oid <oid>
>>         Indicates to the server an object which the client wants to obtain
>>         information for. They must be full OIDs.
>> @@ -580,11 +583,15 @@ space.
>>         info = *PKT-LINE(attr LF)
>>                *PKT-LINE(obj-info LF)
>>
>> -       attr = "size"
>> +       attr = "size" | "type"
>>
>>         obj-size = 1*DIGIT
>>
>> -       obj-info = obj-id [SP [obj-size]]
>> +       obj-type = "blob" | "tree" | "commit" | "tag"
>> +
>> +       obj-val = obj-size | obj-type
>> +
>> +       obj-info = obj-id [SP [obj-val *(SP obj-val)]]
>>
>>  If the server does not recognize the OID, the response will be `<oid> SP`
>>  regardless of the number of attributes requested.
>> diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
>> index 884b6d5ad3..8288511b19 100644
>> --- a/builtin/cat-file.c
>> +++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
>> @@ -841,15 +841,9 @@ static void parse_cmd_remote_object_info(struct batch_options *opt,
>>         struct object_info *remote_object_info = NULL;
>>         struct oid_array object_info_oids = OID_ARRAY_INIT;
>>         struct string_list object_info_options = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
>> -       const char *saved_format = opt->format;
>>
>>         if (strlen(line) >= MAX_REMOTE_OBJ_INFO_LINE)
>>                 die(_("remote-object-info command too long"));
>> -       /*
>> -        * TODO: Use the default format once %(objecttype) is supported.
>> -        */
>> -       if (!opt->format)
>> -               opt->format = "%(objectname) %(objectsize)";
>>
>>         line_to_split = xstrdup(line);
>>         count = split_cmdline(line_to_split, &argv);
>> @@ -904,7 +898,6 @@ static void parse_cmd_remote_object_info(struct batch_options *opt,
>>                 data->is_remote = 0;
>>         }
>>         data->skip_object_info = 0;
>> -       opt->format = saved_format;
>>
>>         for (size_t i = 0; i < object_info_oids.nr; i++)
>>                 free_object_info_contents(&remote_object_info[i]);
>> diff --git a/t/t1017-cat-file-remote-object-info.sh b/t/t1017-cat-file-remote-object-info.sh
>> index 175f778cc9..741bdf34a0 100755
>> --- a/t/t1017-cat-file-remote-object-info.sh
>> +++ b/t/t1017-cat-file-remote-object-info.sh
>> @@ -139,10 +139,10 @@ test_expect_success 'batch-command remote-object-info git:// default filter' '
>>                 set_transport_variables "$daemon_parent" &&
>>                 cd "$daemon_parent/daemon_client_empty" &&
>>
>> -               echo "$hello_oid $hello_size" >expect &&
>> -               echo "$tree_oid $tree_size" >>expect &&
>> -               echo "$commit_oid $commit_size" >>expect &&
>> -               echo "$tag_oid $tag_size" >>expect &&
>> +               echo "$hello_oid $hello_type $hello_size" >expect &&
>> +               echo "$tree_oid $tree_type $tree_size" >>expect &&
>> +               echo "$commit_oid $commit_type $commit_size" >>expect &&
>> +               echo "$tag_oid $tag_type $tag_size" >>expect &&
>>
>>                 git cat-file --batch-command >actual <<-EOF &&
>>                 remote-object-info "$GIT_DAEMON_URL/parent" $hello_oid $tree_oid
>> @@ -152,28 +152,6 @@ test_expect_success 'batch-command remote-object-info git:// default filter' '
>>         )
>>  '
>>
>> -test_expect_success 'remote-object-info does not change the default format of info' '
>> -       (
>> -               set_transport_variables "$daemon_parent" &&
>> -               cd "$daemon_parent/daemon_client_empty" &&
>> -
>> -               local_content="local object" &&
>> -               local_oid=$(echo_without_newline "$local_content" | git hash-object -w --stdin) &&
>> -               local_size=$(strlen "$local_content") &&
>> -
>> -               echo "$local_oid blob $local_size" >expect &&
>> -               echo "$hello_oid $hello_size" >>expect &&
>> -               echo "$local_oid blob $local_size" >>expect &&
>> -
>> -               git cat-file --batch-command >actual <<-EOF &&
>> -               info $local_oid
>> -               remote-object-info "$GIT_DAEMON_URL/parent" $hello_oid
>> -               info $local_oid
>> -               EOF
>> -               test_cmp expect actual
>> -       )
>> -'
>> -
>
> I feel like deleting this test removes the only test in this file that validates
> calling info and remote-object-info in the same cat-file --batch-command
> session.
>
> Instead of deleting it, we should update it. Perhaps something like this:
>
> test "remote-object-info and info can be mixed using the unified
> default format":
>     // 1. Environment setup
>     // 2. Prepare a local object for the 'info' command
>     // 3. Construct the expected output. Since the default format is
> now unified,
>     // both commands should output exactly: <OID> <TYPE> <SIZE>
>     // 4. Execute the batch command
>     // 5. Validate

This test was because we were modifying the default format whenever
remote-object-info was used. The workaround to have them work together
was to store the previous format, save the format as the capped one for
remote-object-info and at the end restore it.

Now that it has been unified for both it is implicit that they can work
together. However, no harm in having a test explicitly proving it. I will
make what you suggest.

Thanks for the feedback,
Pablo