Use of the -f flag on checkout

From: Alan Chandler <alan@chandlerfamily.org.uk>
Date: Sep 29, 2005, 06:54 UTC
Message-ID: <200509290754.30017.alan@chandlerfamily.org.uk>
In-Reply-To: <7vbr2cmle2.fsf@assigned-by-dhcp.cox.net>

On Thursday 29 Sep 2005 07:35, Junio C Hamano wrote:

Show 14 quoted lines

> Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com> writes:
> > My question:  is this the best/right way to pull one branch into
> > another?  It's been working for me, for months, but...
>
> Yes, that is how 'resolve' is designed to work.
>
> You could instead use standard 'git pull' from the local
> repository.  Here is what I usually do in git.git repository:
>
>     $ git checkout foo
>     $ ... work in foo "topic" branch
>     $ git checkout bar
>     $ ... work in bar "topic" branch
>     $ git checkout pu

I notice that Jeff is using the -f flag on checkout whereas you don't.

What is the risk in not using it (ie what are the cases when you should use it)?

-- 
Alan Chandler
http://www.chandlerfamily.org.uk