branch: add flags and config to inherit tracking

It can be helpful when creating a new branch to use the existing
tracking configuration from the branch point. However, there is
currently not a method to automatically do so.

Teach git-{branch,checkout,switch} an "inherit" argument to the
"--track" option. When this is set, creating a new branch will cause the
tracking configuration to default to the configuration of the branch
point, if set.

For example, if branch "main" tracks "origin/main", and we run
`git checkout --track=inherit -b feature main`, then branch "feature"
will track "origin/main". Thus, `git status` will show us how far
ahead/behind we are from origin, and `git pull` will pull from origin.

This is particularly useful when creating branches across many
submodules, such as with `git submodule foreach ...` (or if running with
a patch such as [1], which we use at $job), as it avoids having to
manually set tracking info for each submodule.

Since we've added an argument to "--track", also add "--track=direct" as
another way to explicitly get the original "--track" behavior ("--track"
without an argument still works as well).

Finally, teach branch.autoSetupMerge a new "inherit" option. When this
is set, "--track=inherit" becomes the default behavior.

[1]: https://lore.kernel.org/git/20180927221603.148025-1-sbeller@google.com/

Signed-off-by: Josh Steadmon <steadmon@google.com>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

1 files changed, 2 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/parse-options.h b/parse-options.h
index 13405472ee..47ba8dcbac 100644
--- a/parse-options.h
+++ b/parse-options.h
@@ -302,6 +302,8 @@ enum parse_opt_result parse_opt_unknown_cb(struct parse_opt_ctx_t *ctx,
 					   const char *, int);
 int parse_opt_passthru(const struct option *, const char *, int);
 int parse_opt_passthru_argv(const struct option *, const char *, int);
+/* value is enum branch_track* */
+int parse_opt_tracking_mode(const struct option *, const char *, int);
 
 #define OPT__VERBOSE(var, h)  OPT_COUNTUP('v', "verbose", (var), (h))
 #define OPT__QUIET(var, h)    OPT_COUNTUP('q', "quiet",   (var), (h))