I have many many files without extensions. I have one file called "model" and another file called "schema" which I know are both UTF-16. Both "model" and "schema" have no extension so are forced to binary when trying to git diff. I want to convert "model" to UTF-8 and "schema" to JSON using .gitattributes so I can compare diffs.
Q1. How can I specify individual filenames without extensions to be correctly decoded?
Q2. I don't want to add bash scripts or change git --global settings so that its easier to use for others.
I could'nt find any example from the docs. I tried following this solution except only using *model diff=utf16 and git config file:
[diff "utf16"]
textconv = "iconv -f utf-16 -t utf-8"
but this didn't work. I've tried this in both VScode and on bash (Ubuntu20.04).
UPDATE:
@torek pointed me to helpful Git debugging tool. Here is my output from GIT_TRACE=1 git diff
09:58:09.927031 git.c:439 trace: built-in: git diff
09:58:09.951640 run-command.c:663 trace: run_command: unset GIT_PAGER_IN_USE; LESS=FRX LV=-c pager
Q1 SOLUTION
Both @torek and @jthill helped confirm the issue was on my end. The solution above should have worked but my local git config wasn't pointing to the .gitconfig file. I updated the .git/config file and it worked.
Q2 SOLUTION
You must edit global settings once for each repo to reference .gitconfig. I've tried following this solution but can't seem to get it to revert to the .gitconfig file in the repo worktree root.
so are forced to binary
By what?
I do:
$ echo '/Makefile myattr=test' >.git/info/attributes
$ git ls-files ':(attr:myattr=test)'
Makefile
$ echo 'Makefile myattr=test' >.git/info/attributes
$ git ls-files ':(attr:myattr=test)' | wc -l
24
so there's 24 Makefiles and the anchored pattern matches only the specific one I want, because I anchored the path.
So put /model diff=utf16 in your .gitattributes if that file's at the work tree root.