Temporary files (e.g. build products) lead to large diff

[KevinVlaanderen]

We are using patch-package to patch react-native. Unfortunately, compiling react-native results in Android/iOS build files within the node_modules folder. This leads to two problems:

• If no exclude option is provided, npx patch-package react-native results in a huge diff file, because all build files are seen as new and therefore added to the diff.
• When adding the exclude option to ignore all build files, a new process is spawned to git reset each of them. This takes longer than we were willing to wait.

When debugging this, we noticed that the approach to creating a diff contains some inefficiencies:

• The diff command is ran twice; once to determine files to exclude, and once to obtain the final diff.
• Excluded files are only removed from the set very late (prior to creating the final diff. This means unnecessary copying of files.
• Excluded files are reset one per one. For every excluded file, a new 'git reset' process is spawned. This is very expensive. (see below)

I am working on a MR.

[ds300]

Awesome! Can't wait to see it! :-)

…

On Thu, 14 Jun 2018, 21:15 Kevin Vlaanderen, ***@***.***> wrote: We are using patch-package to patch react-native. Unfortunately, compiling react-native results in Android/iOS build files within the node_modules folder. This leads to two problems: - If no exclude option is provided, npx patch-package react-native results in a huge diff file, because all build files are seen as new and therefore added to the diff. - When adding the exclude option to ignore all build files, a new process is spawned to git reset each of them. This takes longer than we were willing to wait. When debugging this, we noticed that the approach to creating a diff contains some inefficiencies: - The diff command is ran twice; once to determine files to exclude, and once to obtain the final diff. - Excluded files are only removed from the set very late (prior to creating the final diff. This means unnecessary copying of files. - Excluded files are reset one per one. For every excluded file, a new 'git reset' process is spawned. This is very expensive. (see below) I am working on a MR. — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#60>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABL1qW09c6hNMqPZOLMfdSrhNxKQT4MQks5t8sRsgaJpZM4Uol70> .

[pke]

This seems to be still a problem. The diff seems to be run against the files in the node_modules folder of that package (incl build artifacts).
For the diff algo it looks like the build artifacts are new files and adds them all to the patch.
But I guess there is no real solution other than manually delete the build artifacts and then create the patch.

[ds300]

@pke you can also use the --exclude option