we spent some time scratching our heads while trying to figure out WTF git-annex was adding some mouse atlas .nii file into git while .gitattributes had it set so it wouldn't and nothing was in git annex vicfg to only then realize that there is also generic git config annex.largefiles which effects it.
I wondered if there could be some kind of a "mix" between git check-attr [PATH], git annex config, and git config --list --show-origin which would not just state the final decision (not large) for a given PATH but also based on what value of annex.largefiles it did it and where it got it from (the .gitattributes? git annex config? git config file/option as via --show-origin?)
I guess the same functionality might be useful for some other options which could be picked from various sources.
I think it makes sense to have a command that displays the value of a config that will be used, and where that value is configured. I've implemented
git-annex config --show-originto do that.For example:
Hmm, --show-origin only implements part of what was requested here. The other part is to explain what part of a largefiles expression caused it to match (or not match).
I think that nobodyinperson's suggestion of --explain got into my brain and marinated a while, because I later opened option to explain.