Re: [PATCH] builtin-branch: highlight current remote branches with an asterisk

> Mark Burton <markb@ordern.com> writes:
>
>> Johannes Schindelin <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de> wrote:
>>> Let's hope that nobody's scripts rely on a single star in front of the
>>> local HEAD...
>>
>> I don't know if I have any scripts that rely on a single star in front of
>> the local HEAD or not (I'm sure some people must have them), but I do
>> think this new feature would be very confusing, especially when used
>> with -a.
>
> People use "git branch | sed -ne 's/^\* //p' in their scripts (you can say
> "against recommendation" but I think it is a sign that the recommendation
> against use of Porcelain in the scripts is not loud enough).  I do not
> think anybody greps in "git branch -a", though, for that purpose.
>
> The current "branch -a" output is a mess.  It omits "remotes/" even though
> it includes the local ones in the output.  Perhaps with remotes/, the
> output may become a bit more readable:
>
>    $ git branch -a
>    * master
>      next
>      pu
>    * remotes/dscho/master
>    * remotes/origin/master
>      remotes/origin/next
>      remotes/origin/pu
>    * remotes/spearce/master
>
> which may still be too loud with asterisks, but at least there is no
> confusion.  Or perhaps like this:
>
>    $ git branch -a
>    * master
>      next
>      pu
>      remotes/dscho/HEAD -> master
>      remotes/dscho/master
>      remotes/origin/HEAD -> master
>      remotes/origin/master
>      remotes/origin/next
>      remotes/origin/pu
>      remotes/spearce/HEAD -> master
>      remotes/spearce/master
>
> with an obvious twist when there is no mixed output:
>
>    $ git branch -r
>      dscho/HEAD -> master
>      dscho/master
>      origin/HEAD -> master
>      origin/master
>      origin/next
>      origin/pu
>      spearce/HEAD -> master
>      spearce/master