Subject: Re: [PATCH] fix git add :!x exiting with error when x is in .gitignore

From: Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2026 08:48:59 -0800

"Remy D. Farley" <[email-masked]> writes:

> diff --git a/dir.c b/dir.c
> index b00821f294..ed6b99e337 100644
> --- a/dir.c
> +++ b/dir.c
> @@ -2280,6 +2280,9 @@ static int exclude_matches_pathspec(const char *path, int pathlen,
>  		const struct pathspec_item *item = &pathspec->items[i];
>  		int len = item->nowildcard_len;
>  
> +		if (item->magic & PATHSPEC_EXCLUDE)
> +			continue;
> +
>  		if (len == pathlen &&
>  		    !ps_strncmp(item, item->match, path, pathlen))
>  			return 1;

A question that immediately comes to mind is if it is appropriate
for a negated pathspec element to recuse itself like this from the
decision process and let other pathspec elements decide the fate of
the path, or if a negated pathspec element should take a more active
role of saying "no" (no, not by immediately returning 0, but this
loop may have to become a two step process if we wanted to implement
e.g., for the function to yield "yes", it has to match at least one
positive pathspec element and zero negated one, or something like
that).

What should

	git add "$x" ":!$y"

do when a path <matches, does not match> $X and <matches, does not
match> $Y?  We have four combinations to consider in such a case.
The code in the patch says it should behave identically to

	git add "$x"

and negated ":!$y" should not make any difference.  Is that what we
want?

Thanks.