git-config(1): clarify precedence of multiple values
In order to clarify which value is used when there are multiple values defined for a key, re-order the list of file locations so that it runs from least specific to most specific. Then add a paragraph which simply says that the last value will be used. Signed-off-by: John Keeping <john@keeping.me.uk> Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
John Keeping committed
Jul 7, 2013 at 20:49 UTC
7da9800fff189b93b46bb5e8763b75101264d940
1 file changed
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Documentation/git-config.txt
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@@ -197,12 +197,8 @@ FILES
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If not set explicitly with '--file', there are four files where
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'git config' will search for configuration options:
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-$GIT_DIR/config::
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- Repository specific configuration file.
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-
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-~/.gitconfig::
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- User-specific configuration file. Also called "global"
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- configuration file.
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+$(prefix)/etc/gitconfig::
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+ System-wide configuration file.
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$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config::
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Second user-specific configuration file. If $XDG_CONFIG_HOME is not set
@@ -212,8 +208,12 @@ $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config::
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you sometimes use older versions of Git, as support for this
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file was added fairly recently.
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-$(prefix)/etc/gitconfig::
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- System-wide configuration file.
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+~/.gitconfig::
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+ User-specific configuration file. Also called "global"
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+ configuration file.
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+
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+$GIT_DIR/config::
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+ Repository specific configuration file.
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If no further options are given, all reading options will read all of these
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files that are available. If the global or the system-wide configuration
@@ -221,6 +221,10 @@ file are not available they will be ignored. If the repository configuration
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file is not available or readable, 'git config' will exit with a non-zero
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error code. However, in neither case will an error message be issued.
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+The files are read in the order given above, with last value found taking
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+precedence over values read earlier. When multiple values are taken then all
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+values of a key from all files will be used.
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+
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All writing options will per default write to the repository specific
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configuration file. Note that this also affects options like '--replace-all'
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and '--unset'. *'git config' will only ever change one file at a time*.