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[PATCH 7/9] Documentation: clarify branch creation

From
Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>
Date
Oct 9, 2009, 10:19 UTC
Message-ID
<20091009101940.GG16558@progeny.tock>
In-Reply-To
<20091009101400.GA16549@progeny.tock>

The documentation seems to assume that the starting point for a new branch is the tip of an existing (ordinary) branch, but that is not the most common case. More often, "git branch" is used to begin a branch from a remote-tracking branch, a tag, or an interesting commit (e.g. origin/pu^2). Clarify the language so it can apply to these cases.

Signed-off-by: Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>
---
 Documentation/git-branch.txt |   17 ++++++++++-------
 1 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/git-branch.txt b/Documentation/git-branch.txt
index e8b32a2..990f782 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-branch.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-branch.txt
@@ -30,10 +30,11 @@ commit) will be listed.  With `--no-merged` only branches not merged into
 the named commit will be listed.  If the <commit> argument is missing it
 defaults to 'HEAD' (i.e. the tip of the current branch).
 
-In the command's second form, a new branch named <branchname> will be created.
-It will start out with a head equal to the one given as <start-point>.
-If no <start-point> is given, the branch will be created with a head
-equal to that of the currently checked out branch.
+In the command's second form, creates a new branch named <branchname>.
+The branch will start out with head pointing to the commit
+<start-point>.  If no <start-point> is given, the branch will start
+out with head pointing to the tip of the currently checked out branch,
+or the currently checked out commit if no branch is checked out.
 
 Note that this will create the new branch, but it will not switch the
 working tree to it; use "git checkout <newbranch>" to switch to the
@@ -149,9 +150,11 @@ start-point is either a local or remote branch.
 	may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
 
 <start-point>::
-	The new branch will be created with a HEAD equal to this.  It may
-	be given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag.  If this option
-	is omitted, the current branch is assumed.
+	The new branch head will point to this commit.  It may be
+	given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag.  If this
+	option is omitted, the currently checked out branch head
+	is used, or the current commit if no branch is checked
+	out.
 
 <oldbranch>::
 	The name of an existing branch to rename.
-- 
1.6.5.rc1.199.g596ec
Previous: Junio C HamanoNext: Sean Estabrooks
Message 12 of 19 in “Documentation tweaks”
  1. 0/9 Documentation tweaksJonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  2. 1/9 Describe DOCBOOK_XSL_172, ASCIIDOC_NO_ROFF options in MakefileJonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  3. 2/9 Documentation: git fmt-merge-message is not a scriptJonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  4. 3/9 Documentation: fix singular/plural mismatchJonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  5. 4/9 Documentation: say "the same" instead of "equal"Jonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  6. 4/9 Documentation: clarify mergeoptions descriptionJonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  7. 5/9 Documentation: clone: clarify discussion of initial branchJonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  8. Junio C HamanoOct 9, 2009
  9. 5/9 Documentation: clone: clarify discussion of initial branchJonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  10. 6/9 Documentation: branch: update --merged descriptionJonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  11. Junio C HamanoOct 10, 2009
  12. 7/9 Documentation: clarify branch creationJonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  13. Sean EstabrooksOct 9, 2009
  14. Jonathan NiederOct 9, 2009
  15. Junio C HamanoOct 10, 2009
  16. 8/9 Documentation: clarify "working tree" definitionJonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  17. 9/9 racy-git.txt: explain nsec problem in more detailJonathan Nieder, Oct 9, 2009
  18. Junio C HamanoOct 10, 2009
  19. Junio C HamanoOct 10, 2009

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