Start 1.7.2 cycle

[git.git] / Documentation / git-check-ref-format.txt

diff --git a/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt b/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt
index e9b3b40af497c7b8508e31e171bf87e565b96963..379eee6734323ee566480d5f9159dd28ed27ecd2 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
 'git check-ref-format' <refname>
+'git check-ref-format' --print <refname>
 'git check-ref-format' --branch <branchname-shorthand>
 
 DESCRIPTION
@@ -18,8 +19,9 @@ status if it is not.
 
 A reference is used in git to specify branches and tags.  A
 branch head is stored under the `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads` directory, and
-a tag is stored under the `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags` directory.  git
-imposes the following rules on how references are named:
+a tag is stored under the `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags` directory (or, if refs
+are packed by `git gc`, as entries in the `$GIT_DIR/packed-refs` file).
+git imposes the following rules on how references are named:
 
 . They can include slash `/` for hierarchical (directory)
   grouping, but no slash-separated component can begin with a
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ imposes the following rules on how references are named:
 
 . They cannot contain a sequence `@{`.
 
-- They cannot contain a `\\`.
+. They cannot contain a `\`.
 
 These rules make it easy for shell script based tools to parse
 reference names, pathname expansion by the shell when a reference name is used
@@ -59,23 +61,35 @@ reference name expressions (see linkgit:git-rev-parse[1]):
 . A colon `:` is used as in `srcref:dstref` to mean "use srcref\'s
   value and store it in dstref" in fetch and push operations.
   It may also be used to select a specific object such as with
-  'git-cat-file': "git cat-file blob v1.3.3:refs.c".
+  'git cat-file': "git cat-file blob v1.3.3:refs.c".
 
 . at-open-brace `@{` is used as a notation to access a reflog entry.
 
+With the `--print` option, if 'refname' is acceptable, it prints the
+canonicalized name of a hypothetical reference with that name.  That is,
+it prints 'refname' with any extra `/` characters removed.
+
 With the `--branch` option, it expands 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.
 
-EXAMPLE
--------
-
-git check-ref-format --branch @{-1}::
-
-Print the name of the previous branch.
+EXAMPLES
+--------
 
+* Print the name of the previous branch:
++
+------------
+$ git check-ref-format --branch @{-1}
+------------
+
+* Determine the reference name to use for a new branch:
++
+------------
+$ ref=$(git check-ref-format --print "refs/heads/$newbranch") ||
+die "we do not like '$newbranch' as a branch name."
+------------
 
 GIT
 ---