Autogenerated HTML docs for v2.35.1-455-g1a487
diff --git a/git-sparse-checkout.txt b/git-sparse-checkout.txt index 94dad13..88e55f4 100644 --- a/git-sparse-checkout.txt +++ b/git-sparse-checkout.txt
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@ NAME ---- -git-sparse-checkout - Initialize and modify the sparse-checkout -configuration, which reduces the checkout to a set of paths -given by a list of patterns. +git-sparse-checkout - Reduce your working tree to a subset of tracked files SYNOPSIS @@ -17,8 +15,20 @@ DESCRIPTION ----------- -Initialize and modify the sparse-checkout configuration, which reduces -the checkout to a set of paths given by a list of patterns. +This command is used to create sparse checkouts, which means that it +changes the working tree from having all tracked files present, to only +have a subset of them. It can also switch which subset of files are +present, or undo and go back to having all tracked files present in the +working copy. + +The subset of files is chosen by providing a list of directories in +cone mode (which is recommended), or by providing a list of patterns +in non-cone mode. + +When in a sparse-checkout, other Git commands behave a bit differently. +For example, switching branches will not update paths outside the +sparse-checkout directories/patterns, and `git commit -a` will not record +paths outside the sparse-checkout directories/patterns as deleted. THIS COMMAND IS EXPERIMENTAL. ITS BEHAVIOR, AND THE BEHAVIOR OF OTHER COMMANDS IN THE PRESENCE OF SPARSE-CHECKOUTS, WILL LIKELY CHANGE IN @@ -28,7 +38,7 @@ COMMANDS -------- 'list':: - Describe the patterns in the sparse-checkout file. + Describe the directories or patterns in the sparse-checkout file. 'set':: Enable the necessary sparse-checkout config settings @@ -46,20 +56,26 @@ file. See linkgit:git-worktree[1] and the documentation of `extensions.worktreeConfig` in linkgit:git-config[1] for more details. + -When the `--stdin` option is provided, the patterns are read from -standard in as a newline-delimited list instead of from the arguments. +When the `--stdin` option is provided, the directories or patterns are +read from standard in as a newline-delimited list instead of from the +arguments. + When `--cone` is passed or `core.sparseCheckoutCone` is enabled, the -input list is considered a list of directories instead of -sparse-checkout patterns. This allows for better performance with a -limited set of patterns (see 'CONE PATTERN SET' below). Note that the -set command will write patterns to the sparse-checkout file to include -all files contained in those directories (recursively) as well as -files that are siblings of ancestor directories. The input format -matches the output of `git ls-tree --name-only`. This includes -interpreting pathnames that begin with a double quote (") as C-style -quoted strings. This may become the default in the future; --no-cone -can be passed to request non-cone mode. +input list is considered a list of directories. This allows for +better performance with a limited set of patterns (see 'CONE PATTERN +SET' below). The input format matches the output of `git ls-tree +--name-only`. This includes interpreting pathnames that begin with a +double quote (") as C-style quoted strings. Note that the set command +will write patterns to the sparse-checkout file to include all files +contained in those directories (recursively) as well as files that are +siblings of ancestor directories. This may become the default in the +future; --no-cone can be passed to request non-cone mode. ++ +When `--no-cone` is passed or `core.sparseCheckoutCone` is not enabled, +the input list is considered a list of patterns. This mode is harder +to use and less performant, and is thus not recommended. See the +"Sparse Checkout" section of linkgit:git-read-tree[1] and the "Pattern +Set" sections below for more details. + Use the `--[no-]sparse-index` option to use a sparse index (the default is to not use it). A sparse index reduces the size of the @@ -77,11 +93,10 @@ interact with your repository until it is disabled. 'add':: - Update the sparse-checkout file to include additional patterns. - By default, these patterns are read from the command-line arguments, - but they can be read from stdin using the `--stdin` option. When - `core.sparseCheckoutCone` is enabled, the given patterns are interpreted - as directory names as in the 'set' subcommand. + Update the sparse-checkout file to include additional directories + (in cone mode) or patterns (in non-cone mode). By default, these + directories or patterns are read from the command-line arguments, + but they can be read from stdin using the `--stdin` option. 'reapply':: Reapply the sparsity pattern rules to paths in the working tree. @@ -125,13 +140,14 @@ SPARSE CHECKOUT --------------- -"Sparse checkout" allows populating the working directory sparsely. -It uses the skip-worktree bit (see linkgit:git-update-index[1]) to tell -Git whether a file in the working directory is worth looking at. If -the skip-worktree bit is set, then the file is ignored in the working -directory. Git will avoid populating the contents of those files, which -makes a sparse checkout helpful when working in a repository with many -files, but only a few are important to the current user. +"Sparse checkout" allows populating the working directory sparsely. It +uses the skip-worktree bit (see linkgit:git-update-index[1]) to tell Git +whether a file in the working directory is worth looking at. If the +skip-worktree bit is set, and the file is not present in the working tree, +then its absence is ignored. Git will avoid populating the contents of +those files, which makes a sparse checkout helpful when working in a +repository with many files, but only a few are important to the current +user. The `$GIT_DIR/info/sparse-checkout` file is used to define the skip-worktree reference bitmap. When Git updates the working 