The arch Changeset Format

An arch changeset is a directory containing a number of files and subdirectories. Each is described below.

Files:

        orig-dirs-index
        mod-dirs-index
        orig-files-index
        mod-files-index

Format:

        <file path><tab><id>

Sorting:

        sort -k 2

These contain indexes for all files and directories added, removed, or modified between the two trees.

Files:

        original-only-dir-metadata
        modified-only-dir-metadata

Format:

        <metadata><tab><name>

Sorting:

        sort -t '<tab>' -k 2

The field <metadata> contains literal output from the program file-metadata given the options --permissions . Some example output is:

        --permissions 777

That output is also suitable for use as options and option arguments to the program set-file-metadata . Future releases arch might add additional flags (beside just permissions ).

The list records the file permissions for all directories present in only one of the two trees.

Directories:

        removed-files-archive
        new-files-archive

Each of these directories contains complete copies of all files that occur in only the original tree (removed-files-archive ) or modified tree (new-files-archive ). Each saved file is archived at the same relative location it had in its source tree, with permissions (at least) preserved.

Directory:

        patches

This directory contains a tree whose directory structure is a subset of the directory structure of the modified tree. It contains modification data for directories and files common to both trees.

For a file stored in the modified tree at the path new_name , the patches directory may contain:

        new_name.link-orig

                The original file is a symbolic link.
                `new_name.link-orig' is a text file containing the
                target of that link plus a final newline.

                This file is only present if link target has changed,
                or if the link was replaced by a regular file.


        new_name.link-mod

                The modified file is a symbolic link and this file
                is a text file containing the target for the link plus
                a final newline.

                This file is only present if the link target has
                changed, or if the link replaces a regular file.


        new_name.original

                This is a complete copy of the file from the original
                tree, preserving (at least) permissions.

                This file is only present if the file was replaced by
                a symbolic link, or if the file contents can not be
                handled by `diff(1)'.


        new_name.modified

                This is a complete copy of the file from the modified
                tree, preserving (at least) permissions.

                This file is only present if the file replaces a
                symbolic link, or if the file contents can not be
                handled by `diff(1)'.

        new_name.patch

                This is a standard context diff between the original
                file and modified file.  One popular version of diff
                (`GNU diff') generates non-standard context diffs by
                omitting one copy of lines of context that are
                identical between the original and modified file, so
                for now, `.patch' files may have the same bug.
                Fortunately, the only popular version of `patch'
                (``GNU patch'') is tolerant of receiving such input.

                

        new_name.meta-orig
        new_name.meta-mod

                File metadata (currently only permissions) changed
                between the two versions of the file.  These files
                contain output from the `file-metadata' program with
                the flags `--symlink --permissions', suitable for
                comparison to similar output, and for use as options
                and option arguments to `set-file-metadata'.

                These files are also included if a regular file has
                replaced a symbolic link or vice versa.

                
        new_name/=dir-meta-orig
        new_name/=dir-meta-mod

                Directory metadata (currently only permissions) changed
                between the two versions of the directory containing
                these files.  These files contain output from the
                `file-metadata' program with the flags `--symlink
                --permissions', suitable for comparison to similar
                output, and for use as options and option arguments to
                `set-file-metadata'.

Note: If a regular file (or symbolic link) replaces a directory, or vice versa, this is recorded as a file (or link) removed (or added) in one tree and added (or removed) in the other.