Documentation / technical / api-directory-listing.txton commit Merge branch 'js/msgfmt-on-windows' of ../git-gui into js/git-gui-msgfmt-on-windows (90dbf22)
   1directory listing API
   2=====================
   3
   4The directory listing API is used to enumerate paths in the work tree,
   5optionally taking `.git/info/exclude` and `.gitignore` files per
   6directory into account.
   7
   8Data structure
   9--------------
  10
  11`struct dir_struct` structure is used to pass directory traversal
  12options to the library and to record the paths discovered.  A single
  13`struct dir_struct` is used regardless of whether or not the traversal
  14recursively descends into subdirectories.
  15
  16The notable options are:
  17
  18`exclude_per_dir`::
  19
  20        The name of the file to be read in each directory for excluded
  21        files (typically `.gitignore`).
  22
  23`flags`::
  24
  25        A bit-field of options (the `*IGNORED*` flags are mutually exclusive):
  26
  27`DIR_SHOW_IGNORED`:::
  28
  29        Return just ignored files in `entries[]`, not untracked files.
  30
  31`DIR_SHOW_IGNORED_TOO`:::
  32
  33        Similar to `DIR_SHOW_IGNORED`, but return ignored files in `ignored[]`
  34        in addition to untracked files in `entries[]`.
  35
  36`DIR_KEEP_UNTRACKED_CONTENTS`:::
  37
  38        Only has meaning if `DIR_SHOW_IGNORED_TOO` is also set; if this is set, the
  39        untracked contents of untracked directories are also returned in
  40        `entries[]`.
  41
  42`DIR_COLLECT_IGNORED`:::
  43
  44        Special mode for git-add. Return ignored files in `ignored[]` and
  45        untracked files in `entries[]`. Only returns ignored files that match
  46        pathspec exactly (no wildcards). Does not recurse into ignored
  47        directories.
  48
  49`DIR_SHOW_OTHER_DIRECTORIES`:::
  50
  51        Include a directory that is not tracked.
  52
  53`DIR_HIDE_EMPTY_DIRECTORIES`:::
  54
  55        Do not include a directory that is not tracked and is empty.
  56
  57`DIR_NO_GITLINKS`:::
  58
  59        If set, recurse into a directory that looks like a Git
  60        directory.  Otherwise it is shown as a directory.
  61
  62The result of the enumeration is left in these fields:
  63
  64`entries[]`::
  65
  66        An array of `struct dir_entry`, each element of which describes
  67        a path.
  68
  69`nr`::
  70
  71        The number of members in `entries[]` array.
  72
  73`alloc`::
  74
  75        Internal use; keeps track of allocation of `entries[]` array.
  76
  77`ignored[]`::
  78
  79        An array of `struct dir_entry`, used for ignored paths with the
  80        `DIR_SHOW_IGNORED_TOO` and `DIR_COLLECT_IGNORED` flags.
  81
  82`ignored_nr`::
  83
  84        The number of members in `ignored[]` array.
  85
  86Calling sequence
  87----------------
  88
  89Note: index may be looked at for .gitignore files that are CE_SKIP_WORKTREE
  90marked. If you to exclude files, make sure you have loaded index first.
  91
  92* Prepare `struct dir_struct dir` and clear it with `memset(&dir, 0,
  93  sizeof(dir))`.
  94
  95* To add single exclude pattern, call `add_exclude_list()` and then
  96  `add_exclude()`.
  97
  98* To add patterns from a file (e.g. `.git/info/exclude`), call
  99  `add_excludes_from_file()` , and/or set `dir.exclude_per_dir`.  A
 100  short-hand function `setup_standard_excludes()` can be used to set
 101  up the standard set of exclude settings.
 102
 103* Set options described in the Data Structure section above.
 104
 105* Call `read_directory()`.
 106
 107* Use `dir.entries[]`.
 108
 109* Call `clear_directory()` when none of the contained elements are no longer in use.
 110
 111(JC)