From c6342e052535a5097a5bebe270e01b3cc9014bc3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Kaartic Sivaraam Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2017 13:43:49 +0530 Subject: Doc/check-ref-format: clarify information about @{-N} syntax When the N-th previous thing checked out syntax (@{-N}) is used with '--branch' option of check-ref-format the result may not be the name of a branch that currently exists or ever existed. This is because @{-N} is used to refer to the N-th last checked out "thing", which might be a commit object name if the previous check out was a detached HEAD state; or a branch name, otherwise. The documentation thus does a wrong thing by promoting it as the "previous branch syntax". State that @{-N} is the syntax for specifying "N-th last thing checked out" and also state that the result of using @{-N} might also result in an commit object name. Signed-off-by: Kaartic Sivaraam Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano --- Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt | 19 ++++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) (limited to 'Documentation') diff --git a/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt b/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt index cf0a0b7df2..d9de992585 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt @@ -79,16 +79,21 @@ reference name expressions (see linkgit:gitrevisions[7]): With the `--branch` option, the command takes a name and checks if it can be used as a valid branch name (e.g. when creating a new -branch). The rule `git check-ref-format --branch $name` implements +branch). But be cautious when using the +previous checkout syntax that may refer to a detached HEAD state. +The rule `git check-ref-format --branch $name` implements may be stricter than what `git check-ref-format refs/heads/$name` says (e.g. a dash may appear at the beginning of a ref component, but it is explicitly forbidden at the beginning of a branch name). When run with `--branch` option in a repository, the input is first -expanded for the ``previous branch syntax'' -`@{-n}`. For example, `@{-1}` is a way to refer the last branch you -were on. This option should be used by porcelains to accept this -syntax anywhere a branch name is expected, so they can act as if you -typed the branch name. +expanded for the ``previous checkout syntax'' +`@{-n}`. For example, `@{-1}` is a way to refer the last thing that +was checked out using "git checkout" operation. This option should be +used by porcelains to accept this syntax anywhere a branch name is +expected, so they can act as if you typed the branch name. As an +exception note that, the ``previous checkout operation'' might result +in a commit object name when the N-th last thing checked out was not +a branch. OPTIONS ------- @@ -116,7 +121,7 @@ OPTIONS EXAMPLES -------- -* Print the name of the previous branch: +* Print the name of the previous thing checked out: + ------------ $ git check-ref-format --branch @{-1} -- cgit v1.2.3