Added Remote.exists() method, and test. Fixes #229

3 files changed, 23 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/git/remote.py b/git/remote.py
index 4d249004..deddd1f4 100644
--- a/git/remote.py
+++ b/git/remote.py
@@ -397,6 +397,19 @@ class Remote(LazyMixin, Iterable):
     def __hash__(self):
         return hash(self.name)
 
+    def exists(self):
+        """:return: True if this is a valid, existing remote.
+        Valid remotes have an entry in the repository's configuration"""
+        try:
+            self.config_reader.get('url')
+            return True
+        except cp.NoOptionError:
+            # we have the section at least ... 
+            return True
+        except cp.NoSectionError:
+            return False
+        # end
+
     @classmethod
     def iter_items(cls, repo):
         """:return: Iterator yielding Remote objects of the given repository"""
diff --git a/git/repo/base.py b/git/repo/base.py
index 34fe4046..7bd2be48 100644
--- a/git/repo/base.py
+++ b/git/repo/base.py
@@ -250,7 +250,10 @@ class Repo(object):
     def remote(self, name='origin'):
         """:return: Remote with the specified name
         :raise ValueError:  if no remote with such a name exists"""
-        return Remote(self, name)
+        r = Remote(self, name)
+        if not r.exists():
+            raise ValueError("Remote named '%s' didn't exist" % name)
+        return r
 
     #{ Submodules
 
diff --git a/git/test/test_repo.py b/git/test/test_repo.py
index 260f7d68..e0be2074 100644
--- a/git/test/test_repo.py
+++ b/git/test/test_repo.py
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ from git import (
     Reference,
     GitDB,
     Submodule,
-    GitCmdObjectDB
+    GitCmdObjectDB,
+    Remote
 )
 from git.util import join_path_native
 from git.exc import BadObject
@@ -673,3 +674,7 @@ class TestRepo(TestBase):
                 last_commit(repo, 'master', 'git/test/test_base.py')
             # end for each repository type
         # end for each iteration
+
+    def test_remote_method(self):
+        self.failUnlessRaises(ValueError, self.rorepo.remote, 'foo-blue')
+        assert isinstance(self.rorepo.remote(name='origin'), Remote)