last-modified: support sparse checkouts

[dscho]

Cc: Toon Claes [email protected]
cc: Derrick Stolee [email protected]

[dscho]

/submit

[gitgitgadget]

Submitted as [email protected]

To fetch this version into FETCH_HEAD:

git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/ pr-2013/dscho/last-modified-vs-sparse-checkouts-v1 

To fetch this version to local tag pr-2013/dscho/last-modified-vs-sparse-checkouts-v1:

git fetch --no-tags https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/ tag pr-2013/dscho/last-modified-vs-sparse-checkouts-v1 

[gitgitgadget]

On the Git mailing list, Derrick Stolee wrote (reply to this):

On 11/29/2025 8:43 AM, Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget wrote: > From: Johannes Schindelin <[email protected]>>> In a sparse checkout, a user might want to run `last-modified` on a> directory outside the worktree.>> And even in non-sparse checkouts, a user might need to run that command> on a directory that does not exist in the worktree.>> These use cases should be supported via the `--` separator between> revision and file arguments, which is even advertised in the> documentation. This patch fixes a tiny bug that prevents that from> working.> argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, last_modified_options,> last_modified_usage,> - PARSE_OPT_KEEP_ARGV0 | PARSE_OPT_KEEP_UNKNOWN_OPT);> + PARSE_OPT_KEEP_ARGV0 | PARSE_OPT_KEEP_UNKNOWN_OPT |> + PARSE_OPT_KEEP_DASHDASH); I'm intrigued that this is the only fix that was required. > +test_expect_success 'last-modified in sparse checkout' '> + test_when_finished "git sparse-checkout disable" &&> + git sparse-checkout set b &&> + check_last_modified -- a <<-\EOF Would we expect this to work without the '--'? Should it fail for a directory that exists at HEAD but is outside of the sparse-checkout? Thanks, -Stolee 

[gitgitgadget]

User Derrick Stolee <[email protected]> has been added to the cc: list.

[gitgitgadget]

On the Git mailing list, Toon Claes wrote (reply to this):

Derrick Stolee <[email protected]> writes: > On 11/29/2025 8:43 AM, Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget wrote:>> From: Johannes Schindelin <[email protected]>>> >> In a sparse checkout, a user might want to run `last-modified` on a>> directory outside the worktree.>> >> And even in non-sparse checkouts, a user might need to run that command>> on a directory that does not exist in the worktree.>> >> These use cases should be supported via the `--` separator between>> revision and file arguments, which is even advertised in the>> documentation. This patch fixes a tiny bug that prevents that from>> working.>>> argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, last_modified_options,>> last_modified_usage,>> - PARSE_OPT_KEEP_ARGV0 | PARSE_OPT_KEEP_UNKNOWN_OPT);>> + PARSE_OPT_KEEP_ARGV0 | PARSE_OPT_KEEP_UNKNOWN_OPT |>> + PARSE_OPT_KEEP_DASHDASH);>> I'm intrigued that this is the only fix that was required. I like it! >> +test_expect_success 'last-modified in sparse checkout' '>> + test_when_finished "git sparse-checkout disable" &&>> + git sparse-checkout set b &&>> + check_last_modified -- a <<-\EOF>> Would we expect this to work without the '--'? Should it> fail for a directory that exists at HEAD but is outside of> the sparse-checkout? I don't think we need to complicate things that much. Arguments after the '--' are handled as pathspecs. If no paths match that pathspec, the output is simply nothing. Just to demonstrate: On 'master': $ git last-modified a fatal: ambiguous argument 'a': unknown revision or path not in the working tree. Use '--' to separate paths from revisions, like this: 'git <command> [<revision>...] -- [<file>...]' $ git last-modified -- a fatal: ambiguous argument 'a': unknown revision or path not in the working tree. Use '--' to separate paths from revisions, like this: 'git <command> [<revision>...] -- [<file>...]' With this patch applied: $ git last-modified a fatal: ambiguous argument 'a': unknown revision or path not in the working tree. Use '--' to separate paths from revisions, like this: 'git <command> [<revision>...] -- [<file>...]' $ git last-modified -- a $ echo $? 0 I agree this behavior is better. Thanks for this fix. I approve. --  Cheers, Toon

[gitgitgadget]

This branch is now known as js/last-modified-with-sparse-checkouts.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@4401d0d.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into next via git@f1d5abd.

[gitgitgadget]

There was a status update in the "New Topics" section about the branch js/last-modified-with-sparse-checkouts on the Git mailing list:

"git last-modified" used to mishandle "--" to mark the beginning of pathspec, which has been corrected. Will merge to 'master'. source: <[email protected]> 

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@f46a05b.

[gitgitgadget]

There was a status update in the "Cooking" section about the branch js/last-modified-with-sparse-checkouts on the Git mailing list:

"git last-modified" used to mishandle "--" to mark the beginning of pathspec, which has been corrected. Will merge to 'master'. source: <[email protected]> 

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@5bb758a.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@b61aed6.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@9d302ab.

[gitgitgadget]

There was a status update in the "Cooking" section about the branch js/last-modified-with-sparse-checkouts on the Git mailing list:

"git last-modified" used to mishandle "--" to mark the beginning of pathspec, which has been corrected. Will merge to 'master'. source: <[email protected]> 

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@2178707.