Posts
Git Basics: Inspect Effective Attributes with check-attr
A path can inherit Git attributes from several rules. git check-attr shows the effective values for a specific path. Compare the working attributes file with the staged version …
October 27, 2026
Git Basics: Describe a Commit Relative to a Release Tag
A build report often needs a readable relationship to the last release. git describe finds a reachable tag and can add commit distance and an abbreviated object name. This fixture …
October 27, 2026
Git Basics: Compare Arbitrary Files with diff --no-index
Git can compare two filesystem paths even when their contents are not tracked. git diff --no-index is useful for reviewing generated files or exports. Its exit status distinguishes …
October 27, 2026
Python Basics: Read Distribution Metadata Without Importing Code
A support tool may need a package version or declared entry points without executing the package. importlib.metadata reads installed distribution metadata. A temporary .dist-info …
October 27, 2026
Python Basics: Precompile Source Trees with compileall
A packaging check can catch syntax errors before a program is started. compileall compiles Python source into bytecode caches without importing the module. This fixture verifies …
October 27, 2026
Python Basics: Inspect Installation Schemes with sysconfig
Hard-coded library paths break across interpreters, platforms, and virtual environments. sysconfig describes installation schemes and build configuration. Start by inspecting the …
October 27, 2026
Python Basics: Inspect Bytecode Instructions with dis
Bytecode inspection helps explain what the interpreter compiled, especially when a name is loaded from a function argument or the global namespace. Use the structured dis API to …
October 27, 2026
Python Basics: Discover Local Module Names with pkgutil
A diagnostic tool can list candidate modules without importing each one. pkgutil.iter_modules inspects a search path and reports names plus a package flag. A fixture containing …
October 27, 2026
Linux Basics: Wrap Display Lines with GNU fold
An unbroken diagnostic token may be wider than a terminal. GNU fold inserts line breaks at a chosen width. Compare hard wrapping, space-aware wrapping, and byte counting with …
October 27, 2026
Linux Basics: Reverse Record Order with GNU tac
A small event file is often easiest to inspect from its last record. GNU tac reverses record order, not characters. Compare newline records with an explicit separator to see where …
October 27, 2026