Documentation/technical/api-directory-listing.txt

   1 directory listing API
   2 =====================
   3
   4 The directory listing API is used to enumerate paths in the work tree,
   5 optionally taking `.git/info/exclude` and `.gitignore` files per
   6 directory into account.
   7
   8 Data structure
   9 --------------
  10
  11 `struct dir_struct` structure is used to pass directory traversal
  12 options to the library and to record the paths discovered.  The notable
  13 options are:
  14
  15 `exclude_per_dir`::
  16
  17         The name of the file to be read in each directory for excluded
  18         files (typically `.gitignore`).
  19
  20 `collect_ignored`::
  21
  22         Include paths that are to be excluded in the result.
  23
  24 `show_ignored`::
  25
  26         The traversal is for finding just ignored files, not unignored
  27         files.
  28
  29 `show_other_directories`::
  30
  31         Include a directory that is not tracked.
  32
  33 `hide_empty_directories`::
  34
  35         Do not include a directory that is not tracked and is empty.
  36
  37 `no_gitlinks`::
  38
  39         If set, recurse into a directory that looks like a git
  40         directory.  Otherwise it is shown as a directory.
  41
  42 The result of the enumeration is left in these fields::
  43
  44 `entries[]`::
  45
  46         An array of `struct dir_entry`, each element of which describes
  47         a path.
  48
  49 `nr`::
  50
  51         The number of members in `entries[]` array.
  52
  53 `alloc`::
  54
  55         Internal use; keeps track of allocation of `entries[]` array.
  56
  57
  58 Calling sequence
  59 ----------------
  60
  61 Note: index may be looked at for .gitignore files that are CE_SKIP_WORKTREE
  62 marked. If you to exclude files, make sure you have loaded index first.
  63
  64 * Prepare `struct dir_struct dir` and clear it with `memset(&dir, 0,
  65   sizeof(dir))`.
  66
  67 * Call `add_exclude()` to add single exclude pattern,
  68   `add_excludes_from_file()` to add patterns from a file
  69   (e.g. `.git/info/exclude`), and/or set `dir.exclude_per_dir`.  A
  70   short-hand function `setup_standard_excludes()` can be used to set up
  71   the standard set of exclude settings.
  72
  73 * Set options described in the Data Structure section above.
  74
  75 * Call `read_directory()`.
  76
  77 * Use `dir.entries[]`.
  78
  79 (JC)