Support creating hard links #301

[dxlr8r]

#301

[jacebrowning]

Thanks for putting this together!

For code coverage, please clone the existing test_ln* methods to make hard-link versions.

[jacebrowning]

I'm trying to understand why all this code is required. Is just calling os.link(source, target) insufficient?

[dxlr8r]

It is not needed for the initial run, but will most likely be necessary on sequential runs.

Say your source repo has three files, a, b & c. On the initial run you will get links to a, b & c in your target directory.

Now let's say the author of the source repo adds file d and removes a, meaning files b, c & d are the content on the source. Without this extra code, you will however end up with a, b, c & d on the target, instead of b, c & d.

[dxlr8r]

For code coverage, please clone the existing test_ln* methods to make hard-link versions.

That might take some time, as said before I'm not a Python developer; before this I had hardly done more than a hello world in Python.

[dxlr8r]

Some basic testing, I request help/assistant if better testing is required

[dxlr8r]

@jacebrowning please add a "help wanted" label. The code works, but I need help with the testing. The tests in GitHub does not pass, but it pass (make {check,test}) on my box (Debian 11 with Python 3.8 using pyenv). As I am not a Python programmer this is the limits of my knowledge and effort.