Patrick Steinhardt <ps@xxxxxx> writes: > On Tue, Jul 08, 2025 at 11:19:52AM +0000, Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget wrote: >> diff --git a/Documentation/git-sparse-checkout.adoc b/Documentation/git-sparse-checkout.adoc >> index 529a8edd9c1e..21ba6f759905 100644 >> --- a/Documentation/git-sparse-checkout.adoc >> +++ b/Documentation/git-sparse-checkout.adoc >> @@ -111,6 +111,17 @@ flags, with the same meaning as the flags from the `set` command, in order >> to change which sparsity mode you are using without needing to also respecify >> all sparsity paths. >> >> +'clean':: >> + Remove all files in tracked directories that are outside of the >> + sparse-checkout definition. This subcommand requires cone-mode >> + sparse-checkout to be sure that we know which directories are >> + both tracked and all contained paths are not in the sparse-checkout. >> + This command can be used to be sure the sparse index works >> + efficiently. >> ++ >> +The `clean` command can also take the `--dry-run` (`-n`) option to list >> +the directories it would remove without performing any filesystem changes. >> + > > Hm. This is somewhat different from `git clean`, where you have to pass > `-f` to make it delete any data. I'm not particularly a fan of that > mode, but should we maybe retain it regardless to ensure that things are > at least a tiny bit more consistent? Ah, it reminds me of my favorite "regret". We may want to consider making the --force/--dry-run used in "git clean" saner at a major version boundary. I am not particulary a fan of that mode, and would oppose a patch made as a part of regular "let's change this, as I do not like it" exercise, but as a known-breaking change, I do not mind it at all. Essentially the change to propose would be to deprecate clean.requireForce and internally make it a constant false. But that is a tangent ;-)
