From 4b5040818bf14ad88971a781b142a6b5c2c1b5be Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ilya_Shlyakhter Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2019 18:53:16 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] added todo "change git-annex-import not to delete original files by default" --- ...annex-import_not_to_delete_original_files_by_default.mdwn | 5 +++++ 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/todo/change_git-annex-import_not_to_delete_original_files_by_default.mdwn diff --git a/doc/todo/change_git-annex-import_not_to_delete_original_files_by_default.mdwn b/doc/todo/change_git-annex-import_not_to_delete_original_files_by_default.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..4fc5706e21 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/todo/change_git-annex-import_not_to_delete_original_files_by_default.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,5 @@ +[[git-annex-import]] by default deletes the original files. Keeping them by default would be better. "import" in many other tools (e.g. the bioinformatics tool [Geneious](https://www.geneious.com/)) means a non-destructive import. The short description of `git-annex-import` on its man page says it "adds" files to the repo, which does not suggest erasure. When I first used `git-annex-import`, I was surprised by the default behavior, and others may be too. Also, the command has now been "overloaded" for importing from a special remote, and in that mode the originals are not erased; giving the import-from-dir mode the same default would be more consistent. In general, erasing data by default seems dangerous: what if it was being imported into a temporary or untrusted repo? + +Changing the default would also let one [[repeatedly re-import a directory while keeping original files in place|bugs/impossible__40____63____41___to_continuously_re-import_a_directory_while_keeping_original_files_in_place]]. + +I realize this would be a breaking change for some workflows; warning of it [[like git does|todo/warn_of_breaking_changes_same_way_git_does]] would mitigate the breakage.