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[PATCH 1/4] remote: return non-const pointer from error_buf()

From
Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
Date
Jan 19, 2026, 05:19 UTC
Message-ID
<20260119051945.GA1991523@coredump.intra.peff.net>
In-Reply-To
<20260119051858.GA1991308@coredump.intra.peff.net>

We have an error_buf() helper that functions a bit like our error() helper, but returns NULL instead of -1. Its return type is "const char *", but this is overly restrictive. If we use the helper in a function that returns non-const "char *", the compiler will complain about the implicit cast from const to non-const.

Meanwhile, the const in the helper is doing nothing useful, as it only ever returns NULL. Let's drop the const, which will let us use it in both types of function.

Signed-off-by: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
---
 remote.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index b756ff6f15..3dc100be83 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -1831,7 +1831,7 @@ int branch_merge_matches(struct branch *branch,
 }
 
 __attribute__((format (printf,2,3)))
-static const char *error_buf(struct strbuf *err, const char *fmt, ...)
+static char *error_buf(struct strbuf *err, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
 	if (err) {
 		va_list ap;
-- 
2.53.0.rc0.338.g08aa8a9473
Previous: Jeff KingNext: Patrick Steinhardt
Message 2 of 15 in “memory leaks in remote.c”
  1. 0/4 memory leaks in remote.cJeff King, Jan 19, 2026
  2. 1/4 remote: return non-const pointer from error_buf()Jeff King, Jan 19, 2026
  3. Patrick SteinhardtJan 19, 2026
  4. Junio C HamanoJan 20, 2026
  5. Jeff KingJan 20, 2026
  6. Junio C HamanoJan 20, 2026
  7. 2/4 remote: drop const return of tracking_for_push_dest()Jeff King, Jan 19, 2026
  8. Patrick SteinhardtJan 19, 2026
  9. 3/4 remote: fix leak in branch_get_push_1() with invalid "simple" configJeff King, Jan 19, 2026
  10. Patrick SteinhardtJan 19, 2026
  11. 4/4 remote: always allocate branch.push_tracking_refJeff King, Jan 19, 2026
  12. Patrick SteinhardtJan 19, 2026
  13. Triangular workflowHarald Nordgren, Jan 19, 2026
  14. Jeff KingJan 20, 2026
  15. Junio C HamanoJan 20, 2026

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