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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/git-symbolic-ref.txt')
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diff --git a/Documentation/git-symbolic-ref.txt b/Documentation/git-symbolic-ref.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..a5b40f3e85 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/git-symbolic-ref.txt @@ -0,0 +1,61 @@ +git-symbolic-ref(1) +=================== + +NAME +---- +git-symbolic-ref - Read and modify symbolic refs + +SYNOPSIS +-------- +'git-symbolic-ref' [-q] [-m <reason>] <name> [<ref>] + +DESCRIPTION +----------- +Given one argument, reads which branch head the given symbolic +ref refers to and outputs its path, relative to the `.git/` +directory. Typically you would give `HEAD` as the <name> +argument to see on which branch your working tree is on. + +Give two arguments, create or update a symbolic ref <name> to +point at the given branch <ref>. + +A symbolic ref is a regular file that stores a string that +begins with `ref: refs/`. For example, your `.git/HEAD` is +a regular file whose contents is `ref: refs/heads/master`. + +OPTIONS +------- + +-q, --quiet:: + Do not issue an error message if the <name> is not a + symbolic ref but a detached HEAD; instead exit with + non-zero status silently. + +-m:: + Update the reflog for <name> with <reason>. This is valid only + when creating or updating a symbolic ref. + +NOTES +----- +In the past, `.git/HEAD` was a symbolic link pointing at +`refs/heads/master`. When we wanted to switch to another branch, +we did `ln -sf refs/heads/newbranch .git/HEAD`, and when we wanted +to find out which branch we are on, we did `readlink .git/HEAD`. +This was fine, and internally that is what still happens by +default, but on platforms that do not have working symlinks, +or that do not have the `readlink(1)` command, this was a bit +cumbersome. On some platforms, `ln -sf` does not even work as +advertised (horrors). Therefore symbolic links are now deprecated +and symbolic refs are used by default. + +git-symbolic-ref will exit with status 0 if the contents of the +symbolic ref were printed correctly, with status 1 if the requested +name is not a symbolic ref, or 128 if another error occurs. + +Author +------ +Written by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net> + +GIT +--- +Part of the linkgit:git[7] suite |