simplify API for --parents option

[guillaumevincent]

Hi,

If I want to copy all the html in assets directory and keep the directory structure inside dist directory I have to do the following command :

cpy '**/*.html' '../dist/' --cwd=assets --parents

I think the following command would be easier :

cpy 'assets/**/*.html' dist --parents

assets
├── index.html
├── robots.txt
└── test
    └── test.html

should return

dist
├── index.html
└── test
    └── test.html

not

dist
└── assets
    ├── index.html
    └── test
        └── test.html

npm -v
2.14.7

node -v
4.2.3

uname -a
Linux guillaume-x240 3.19.0-39-generic #44~14.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Wed Dec 2 10:00:35 UTC 2015 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

here the red test guillaumevincent@fad2b31

[schnittstabil]

Saving some characters would be nice, but how cumbersome would be the cpy command to create current result?

dist
└── assets
    ├── index.html
    └── test
        └── test.html

[guillaumevincent]

@schnittstabil :

cpy 'assets/**/*.html' 'dist/assets' --parents

[schnittstabil]

@guillaumevincent What about this:

cpy 'asset*/**/*.html' dist --parents

Should this copy

1. assets/test/test.html to dist/assets/test/test.html, or
2. assets/test/test.html to assets/test/test.html

[guillaumevincent]

@schnittstabil I don't really know

My proposition was just to simplify the API.
I found difficult to found a simple way to copy all the html inside a folder to another folder.

I understand that cpy follow the API of linux cp method.
Maybe we can update the doc with an example.

[schnittstabil]

@guillaumevincent Propositions are always welcome.

I understand that cpy follow the API of linux cp method.

We don't have to, however most users expect a similar behavior.

@guillaumevincent Would you find a --cut-dirs option useful?

# instead of (1)
cpy --cwd=assets/test '**/*.html' '../../dist' --parents
# or
cd assets/test && cpy '**/*.html' '../../dist' --parents && cd ../..

# cut the first 2 directories (assets/test)
cpy 'assets/**/*.html' 'dist' --parents --cut-dirs=2  

# result:
dist
└── test.html

I'm not sure if we need this, personally I think the (1) command is sufficient.

[guillaumevincent]

@schnittstabil you're right, the first command is sufficient.

Maybe something in the doc :

$ cpy --help

  Usage
    $ cpy <source>... <destination> [--no-overwrite] [--parents] [--cwd=<dir>] [--rename=<filename>]

  Options
    --no-overwrite       Don't overwrite the destination
    --parents            Preseve path structure
    --cwd=<dir>          Working directory for source files
    --rename=<filename>  Rename all <source> filenames to <filename>

  <source> can contain globs if quoted

  Examples:
  Copy all png in src directory into dist except src/goat.png

    $ cpy 'src/*.png' '!src/goat.png' dist

  Copy all html inside src directory into dist and keep path structure

    $ cpy '**/*.html' '../dist/' --cwd=src --parents

[schnittstabil]

Why not, a --cwd-example wouldn't harm. @sindresorhus What do you think?

[sindresorhus]

👍

[schnittstabil]

@guillaumevincent Would you like to create a pull request?

[guillaumevincent]

@schnittstabil pull request #22
tell me if it's not what you think