From: Julia Evans via GitGitGadget Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2025 19:08:51 GMT Subject: [PATCH 3/5] doc: git-checkout: don't use "reset" Message-ID: <0a3915264bdc613097580be0e041896116df5452.1756148933.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com> In-Reply-To: From: Julia Evans Many Git users don't know what the term "reset" means. Resolve this by: - Expanding it into its definition, in one case - Giving a simpler but still accurate explanation ("the branch will not be created or modified"), in the other case Signed-off-by: Julia Evans --- Documentation/git-checkout.adoc | 11 +++++------ 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc b/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc index a3edb95973a2..dc9607d9ea39 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc +++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc @@ -58,18 +58,17 @@ slower than getting the same information from `git status`. `--track` without `-b` implies branch creation; see the description of `--track` below. + -If `-B` is given, __ is created if it doesn't exist; otherwise, it -is reset. This is the transactional equivalent of +If `-B` is given, __ is created if it doesn't exist; +otherwise `` is forced to point at the commit. This is the +transactional equivalent of + ------------ $ git branch -f [] $ git checkout ------------ + -that is to say, the branch is not reset/created unless "git checkout" is -successful (e.g., when the branch is in use in another worktree, not -just the current branch stays the same, but the branch is not reset to -the start-point, either). +that is, the branch will not be created or modified unless +`git checkout` is successful. `git checkout --detach []`:: `git checkout [--detach] `:: -- gitgitgadget