From: Björn Steinbrink <b.steinbrink@gmx.de>
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:26:34 GMT
Subject: Re: [usability bug] git branch -a does not disambiguate remote and local branches
Message-ID: <20081216062634.GB3684@atjola.homenet>
In-Reply-To: <85647ef50812151015t4d5bc2b8p4ea53a0e4ad25e64@mail.gmail.com>

On 2008.12.15 21:15:15 +0300, Constantine Plotnikov wrote:
> After this scenario is executed, git branch -a will give the following output:
>   master
> * origin/master
>   origin/master
> 
> Note that there is two origin/master entries, but it is not clear
> which is remote is and which is the local. I think that "git branch
> -a" should print unambiguous names, qualifying them if needed.

Actually, it is clear. The one with the * is the local one. The remote
tracking branch will never be marked as checked out, as you would get a
detached HEAD when you do "git checkout remotes/origin/master".

When there are duplicate entries, you can be sure that you have a local
branch head and a remote tracking branch with the same shortname. And
when one of them has been marked as checked out, you can be sure that it
is the local one.

Björn