How can I use a wildcard in git pathspec?

git, git-checkout

Solution

With Git 2.23, you can try the new (experimental for now) command `git restore`, which does accept a pathspec.

git restore --source=master --staged

Example (in my case, I just restore the working tree, source HEAD):

C:\Users\vonc\git\git\Documentation\technical>echo a>> shallow.txt

C:\Users\vonc\git\git\Documentation\technical>echo a >> rerere.txt

C:\Users\vonc\git\git\Documentation\technical>git st
On branch master
Your branch is up to date with 'origin/master'.

Changes not staged for commit:
  (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  (use "git restore <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
        modified:   rerere.txt
        modified:   shallow.txt

no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")

C:\Users\vonc\git\git\Documentation\technical>cd ..

C:\Users\vonc\git\git\Documentation>cd ..

C:\Users\vonc\git\git>git restore Documentation/**/*.txt

C:\Users\vonc\git\git>git st
On branch master
Your branch is up to date with 'origin/master'.

nothing to commit, working tree clean

Problem

I'm using Git for Windows 2.9.3.windows.1 via Git Bash. Now dev branch is checked out and I want to checkout some files which are now not in the working directory from master branch. The files have the same name and are stored in similar directories like: ``` path/to/a/file.txt path/to/that/file.txt path/to/the/file.txt path/to/this/file.txt ``` I'm sure I can do that by specifying the files one by one: ``` git checkout master path/to/a/file.txt path/to/that/file.txt path/to/the/file.txt path/to/this/file.txt ``` But it's a hassle. Instead I want to use a wildcard like: ``` git checkout master path/to/*/file.txt ``` When I tried this command an error occurred: ``` error: pathspec 'path/to/*/file.txt' did not match any file(s) known to git. ``` Then, I learned pathspec and tried: ``` git checkout master path/to/**/file.txt git checkout master 'path/to/*/file.txt' git checkout master 'path/to/**/file.txt' git checkout master */file.txt git checkout master '*/file.txt' git checkout master **/file.txt git checkout master '**/file.txt' git checkout master ':(glob)path/to/*/file.txt' git checkout master ':(glob)path/to/**/file.txt' git checkout master ':(glob)**/file.txt' ``` All of them didn't work due to the same error. They didn't work even if I add `--` between master and pathspec. How can I use a wildcard in pathspec?

Original source