-# returns path to the core git executable and the --git-dir parameter as string
-sub git_cmd_str {
- return join(' ', git_cmd());
+# quote the given arguments for passing them to the shell
+# quote_command("command", "arg 1", "arg with ' and ! characters")
+# => "'command' 'arg 1' 'arg with '\'' and '\!' characters'"
+# Try to avoid using this function wherever possible.
+sub quote_command {
+ return join(' ',
+ map( { my $a = $_; $a =~ s/(['!])/'\\$1'/g; "'$a'" } @_ ));