strbuf: add strbuf_add_real_path()

Add a function for appending the canonized absolute pathname of a given
path to a strbuf.  It keeps the existing contents intact, as expected of
a function of the strbuf_add() family, while avoiding copying the result
if the given strbuf is empty.  It's more consistent with the rest of the
strbuf API than strbuf_realpath(), which it's wrapping.

Also add a semantic patch demonstrating its intended usage and apply it
to the current tree.  Using strbuf_add_real_path() instead of calling
strbuf_addstr() and real_path() avoids an extra copy to a static buffer.

Signed-off-by: Rene Scharfe <l.s.r@web.de>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

1 files changed, 14 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/strbuf.h b/strbuf.h
index 2262b12..ab12d39 100644
--- a/strbuf.h
+++ b/strbuf.h
@@ -443,6 +443,20 @@ extern int strbuf_getcwd(struct strbuf *sb);
  */
 extern void strbuf_add_absolute_path(struct strbuf *sb, const char *path);
 
+/**
+ * Canonize `path` (make it absolute, resolve symlinks, remove extra
+ * slashes) and append it to `sb`.  Die with an informative error
+ * message if there is a problem.
+ *
+ * The directory part of `path` (i.e., everything up to the last
+ * dir_sep) must denote a valid, existing directory, but the last
+ * component need not exist.
+ *
+ * Callers that don't mind links should use the more lightweight
+ * strbuf_add_absolute_path() instead.
+ */
+extern void strbuf_add_real_path(struct strbuf *sb, const char *path);
+
 
 /**
  * Normalize in-place the path contained in the strbuf. See