Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt

   1 git-check-ref-format(1)
   2 =======================
   3
   4 NAME
   5 ----
   6 git-check-ref-format - Make sure ref name is well formed
   7
   8 SYNOPSIS
   9 --------
  10 'git check-ref-format' <refname>
  11
  12 DESCRIPTION
  13 -----------
  14 Checks if a given 'refname' is acceptable, and exits non-zero if
  15 it is not.
  16
  17 A reference is used in git to specify branches and tags.  A
  18 branch head is stored under `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads` directory, and
  19 a tag is stored under `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags` directory.  git
  20 imposes the following rules on how refs are named:
  21
  22 . It can include slash `/` for hierarchical (directory)
  23   grouping, but no slash-separated component can begin with a
  24   dot `.`;
  25
  26 . It cannot have two consecutive dots `..` anywhere;
  27
  28 . It cannot have ASCII control character (i.e. bytes whose
  29   values are lower than \040, or \177 `DEL`), space, tilde `~`,
  30   caret `{caret}`, colon `:`, question-mark `?`, asterisk `*`,
  31   or open bracket `[` anywhere;
  32
  33 . It cannot end with a slash `/`.
  34
  35 These rules makes it easy for shell script based tools to parse
  36 refnames, pathname expansion by the shell when a refname is used
  37 unquoted (by mistake), and also avoids ambiguities in certain
  38 refname expressions (see linkgit:git-rev-parse[1]).  Namely:
  39
  40 . double-dot `..` are often used as in `ref1..ref2`, and in some
  41   context this notation means `{caret}ref1 ref2` (i.e. not in
  42   ref1 and in ref2).
  43
  44 . tilde `~` and caret `{caret}` are used to introduce postfix
  45   'nth parent' and 'peel onion' operation.
  46
  47 . colon `:` is used as in `srcref:dstref` to mean "use srcref\'s
  48   value and store it in dstref" in fetch and push operations.
  49   It may also be used to select a specific object such as with
  50   linkgit:git-cat-file[1] "git cat-file blob v1.3.3:refs.c".
  51
  52
  53 GIT
  54 ---
  55 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite