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[thirdparty/git.git] / Documentation / git-check-ref-format.txt
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1git-check-ref-format(1)
2=======================
3
4NAME
5----
cd747dc6 6git-check-ref-format - Ensures that a reference name is well formed
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7
8SYNOPSIS
9--------
a31dca03 10[verse]
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11'git check-ref-format' [--normalize]
12 [--[no-]allow-onelevel] [--refspec-pattern]
13 <refname>
604e0cb5 14'git check-ref-format' --branch <branchname-shorthand>
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15
16DESCRIPTION
17-----------
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18Checks if a given 'refname' is acceptable, and exits with a non-zero
19status if it is not.
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20
21A reference is used in git to specify branches and tags. A
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22branch head is stored in the `refs/heads` hierarchy, while
23a tag is stored in the `refs/tags` hierarchy of the ref namespace
24(typically in `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads` and `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags`
25directories or, as entries in file `$GIT_DIR/packed-refs`
26if refs are packed by `git gc`).
27
cc1b8d8b 28git imposes the following rules on how references are named:
622ef9df 29
cd747dc6 30. They can include slash `/` for hierarchical (directory)
37425065 31 grouping, but no slash-separated component can begin with a
7e9d2fe9 32 dot `.` or end with the sequence `.lock`.
622ef9df 33
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34. They must contain at least one `/`. This enforces the presence of a
35 category like `heads/`, `tags/` etc. but the actual names are not
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36 restricted. If the `--allow-onelevel` option is used, this rule
37 is waived.
1a287259 38
cd747dc6 39. They cannot have two consecutive dots `..` anywhere.
622ef9df 40
cd747dc6 41. They cannot have ASCII control characters (i.e. bytes whose
622ef9df 42 values are lower than \040, or \177 `DEL`), space, tilde `~`,
6cf378f0 43 caret `^`, or colon `:` anywhere.
e4ed6105 44
6cf378f0 45. They cannot have question-mark `?`, asterisk `*`, or open
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46 bracket `[` anywhere. See the `--refspec-pattern` option below for
47 an exception to this rule.
622ef9df 48
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49. They cannot begin or end with a slash `/` or contain multiple
50 consecutive slashes (see the `--normalize` option below for an
51 exception to this rule)
52
53. They cannot end with a dot `.`.
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54
55. They cannot contain a sequence `@{`.
622ef9df 56
8222153d 57. They cannot contain a `\`.
a4c2e699 58
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59These rules make it easy for shell script based tools to parse
60reference names, pathname expansion by the shell when a reference name is used
68283999 61unquoted (by mistake), and also avoids ambiguities in certain
9d83e382 62reference name expressions (see linkgit:gitrevisions[7]):
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cd747dc6 64. A double-dot `..` is often used as in `ref1..ref2`, and in some
6cf378f0 65 contexts this notation means `^ref1 ref2` (i.e. not in
cd747dc6 66 `ref1` and in `ref2`).
622ef9df 67
6cf378f0 68. A tilde `~` and caret `^` are used to introduce the postfix
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69 'nth parent' and 'peel onion' operation.
70
cd747dc6 71. A colon `:` is used as in `srcref:dstref` to mean "use srcref\'s
622ef9df 72 value and store it in dstref" in fetch and push operations.
87a56cd3 73 It may also be used to select a specific object such as with
0b444cdb 74 'git cat-file': "git cat-file blob v1.3.3:refs.c".
622ef9df 75
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76. at-open-brace `@{` is used as a notation to access a reflog entry.
77
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78With the `--branch` option, it expands the ``previous branch syntax''
79`@{-n}`. For example, `@{-1}` is a way to refer the last branch you
80were on. This option should be used by porcelains to accept this
81syntax anywhere a branch name is expected, so they can act as if you
82typed the branch name.
a31dca03 83
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84OPTIONS
85-------
86--allow-onelevel::
87--no-allow-onelevel::
88 Controls whether one-level refnames are accepted (i.e.,
89 refnames that do not contain multiple `/`-separated
90 components). The default is `--no-allow-onelevel`.
91
92--refspec-pattern::
93 Interpret <refname> as a reference name pattern for a refspec
94 (as used with remote repositories). If this option is
6cf378f0 95 enabled, <refname> is allowed to contain a single `*`
e4ed6105 96 in place of a one full pathname component (e.g.,
6cf378f0 97 `foo/*/bar` but not `foo/bar*`).
e4ed6105 98
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99--normalize::
100 Normalize 'refname' by removing any leading slash (`/`)
101 characters and collapsing runs of adjacent slashes between
102 name components into a single slash. Iff the normalized
103 refname is valid then print it to standard output and exit
104 with a status of 0. (`--print` is a deprecated way to spell
105 `--normalize`.)
106
107
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108EXAMPLES
109--------
a31dca03 110
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111* Print the name of the previous branch:
112+
113------------
114$ git check-ref-format --branch @{-1}
115------------
116
117* Determine the reference name to use for a new branch:
118+
119------------
a40e6fb6 120$ ref=$(git check-ref-format --normalize "refs/heads/$newbranch") ||
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121die "we do not like '$newbranch' as a branch name."
122------------
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123
124GIT
125---
9e1f0a85 126Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite