# [PATCH] docs: correct information about reftable

3 messages from 2026-04-02 to 2026-04-08. Participants: brian m. carlson, Patrick Steinhardt, Junio C Hamano.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/65420

## brian m. carlson, 2026-04-02 22:42

Subject: [PATCH] docs: correct information about reftable
Message-ID: <20260402224241.4104726-1-sandals@crustytoothpaste.net>

```
Our description of the reftable format is that it is experimental and
subject to change, but that is no longer true.  Remove this statement so
as not to mislead users.

In addition, the documentation says that the files format is the
default, but that is not true if breaking changes mode is on.  Correct
this information with a conditional.

Signed-off-by: brian m. carlson <sandals@crustytoothpaste.net>
---
Someone who was asking a question on the list pointed out that the docs
still said reftable was experimental and I said I'd send a patch to fix
that, so here it is.

Moreover, I think the with-breaking-changes item is helpful for us to
find all the places that we'll need to change for Git 3.0, in addition
to our goal of having strictly accurate documentation.

 Documentation/ref-storage-format.adoc | 11 ++++++++---
 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/ref-storage-format.adoc b/Documentation/ref-storage-format.adoc
index 6a8db4712b..c5e29ec831 100644
--- a/Documentation/ref-storage-format.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/ref-storage-format.adoc
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
-`files`;; for loose files with packed-refs. This is the default.
-`reftable`;; for the reftable format. This format is experimental and its
-  internals are subject to change.
+`files`;; for loose files with packed-refs.
+ifndef::with-breaking-changes[]
+	This is the default.
+endif::with-breaking-changes[]
+`reftable`;; for the reftable format.
+ifdef::with-breaking-changes[]
+	This is the default.
+endif::with-breaking-changes[]

```

## Patrick Steinhardt, 2026-04-08 06:51

Subject: Re: [PATCH] docs: correct information about reftable
Message-ID: <adX65j-4Vb24GpF8@pks.im>
In-Reply-To: <20260402224241.4104726-1-sandals@crustytoothpaste.net>

```
On Thu, Apr 02, 2026 at 10:42:41PM +0000, brian m. carlson wrote:
> Our description of the reftable format is that it is experimental and
> subject to change, but that is no longer true.  Remove this statement so
> as not to mislead users.
> 
> In addition, the documentation says that the files format is the
> default, but that is not true if breaking changes mode is on.  Correct
> this information with a conditional.

Makes sense to me, thanks!

Patrick

```

## Junio C Hamano, 2026-04-08 14:20

Subject: Re: [PATCH] docs: correct information about reftable
Message-ID: <xmqqy0ix1qlf.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <adX65j-4Vb24GpF8@pks.im>

```
Patrick Steinhardt <ps@pks.im> writes:

> On Thu, Apr 02, 2026 at 10:42:41PM +0000, brian m. carlson wrote:
>> Our description of the reftable format is that it is experimental and
>> subject to change, but that is no longer true.  Remove this statement so
>> as not to mislead users.
>> 
>> In addition, the documentation says that the files format is the
>> default, but that is not true if breaking changes mode is on.  Correct
>> this information with a conditional.
>
> Makes sense to me, thanks!
>
> Patrick

Thanks for this ack---the patch message somehow escaped from my
radar.  Will apply.




```
