Microsoft/vscode

Git - Source Control Tab "Discard Changes" on a file called '*' discards all untracked changes

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#133,566 opened on Sep 21, 2021

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Description

Does this issue occur when all extensions are disabled?: Yes

  • VS Code Version: 1.60.1
  • OS Version: MacOS 11.3 / RHE Linux 7.6

Steps to Reproduce:

  1. Open workspace in a git repo
  2. Make lots of new untracked files.
  3. Create a file called '*' 😛
  4. In the Source Control tab right click the file '*' and select Discard Changes
  5. VSCode displays a dialog saying "This file will FOREVER BE LOST if you proceed."
  6. Click "Delete File"
  7. vscode runs "git clean -f -q -- '/path/to/dir/*"
  8. You have lost all your untracked work, not just the file '*' as the dialog suggests.

Not really sure what the solution here is. Not sure exactly how you would modify the git command to be compatible with a filename of '*'. But certainly the operation vscode performed did not match the operation selected or the text of the dialog box warning.

You might think it absurd that someone would make this filename, or even expect vscode to handle it elegantly. However at 01:10 in the morning, I did this, and it was painful. 😭

Contributor guide

Research direction
Investigate how VS Code constructs the git clean command for discarding changes and ensure filenames with special characters like '*' are properly escaped.
Tech stack
typescript
Domain
desktoptooling
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
Half day
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
GitTypeScript
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
70