git/list[1] front-page[2] threads[3] people[4] search[5] about
 

[PATCH v6 0/3] worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch name

From
Yoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
Date
Aug 20, 2026, 21:03 UTC
Message-ID
<pull.2197.v6.git.1787259838.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To
<pull.2197.git.1786177301832.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

'git worktree add ../foo-dir bar-topic' fails to dwim when there are multiple remote branches with name `bar-topic'. But it doesn't display meaningful message as 'git checkout bar-topic' does under the same situation.

We improve this by adding advice and modify the error message for worktree add.

By Junio's suggestion, we include matched remote names in the advice. It is applied to checkout, too.

The changes to 'checkout' are almost identical to what Junio proposed; I have made minor adjustments to use the specified branch name. I'm not sure how to handle the "Author" field in this case, so I've set it to myself for now, but I'll correct it if that's not appropriate.

Yoichi NAKAYAMA (3):
  checkout: extract function to display advice for ambiguous remotes
  checkout: improve message for ambiguous remote branch name
  worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch name
 builtin/checkout.c      | 76 +++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------
 builtin/worktree.c      | 37 ++++++++++++++++++--
 checkout.c              | 14 ++++++--
 checkout.h              |  5 ++-
 t/t2400-worktree-add.sh |  4 +--
 5 files changed, 98 insertions(+), 38 deletions(-)
base-commit: dea0ea3582e6980ddbc1173cc8e3e9f9db91cde0
Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-2197%2Fyoichi%2Fimprove-worktree-add-error-message-v6
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-2197/yoichi/improve-worktree-add-error-message-v6
Pull-Request: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/2197
Range-diff vs v5:
 -:  ---------- > 1:  e3f7d88520 checkout: extract function to display advice for ambiguous remotes
 1:  b838fdabb7 ! 2:  97e99ae31e checkout: improve message for ambiguous remote branch name
     @@ Commit message
          To make the advice more feasible, we will provide matched remote names
          for the specified branch name.
      
     -    To achive that, we add an optional feature to the
     +    To achieve that, we add an optional feature to the
          `unique_tracking_name()` function that allows the matched remote name
          to be exposed to the caller.
      
     @@ builtin/checkout.c: enum checkout_command {
       	CHECKOUT_RESTORE = 3,
       };
       
     -+static void be_explicit(const char *branch,
     -+			enum checkout_command which_command,
     -+			const struct string_list *matched_remote_names)
     -+{
     -+	const char *cmdname;
     +-static void advice_disambiguating_remotes(enum checkout_command which_command)
     ++static void advise_disambiguating_remotes(enum checkout_command which_command,
     ++					  const char *branch,
     ++					  const struct string_list *matched_remote_names)
     + {
     + 	const char *cmdname;
      +	struct string_list_item *item;
     -+
     -+	switch (which_command) {
     -+	case CHECKOUT_CHECKOUT:
     -+		cmdname = "checkout";
     -+		break;
     -+	case CHECKOUT_SWITCH:
     -+		cmdname = "switch";
     -+		break;
     -+	default:
     -+		BUG("command <%d> should not reach parse_remote_branch",
     -+		     which_command);
     -+		break;
     -+	}
     -+
     + 
     + 	switch (which_command) {
     + 	case CHECKOUT_CHECKOUT:
     +@@ builtin/checkout.c: static void advice_disambiguating_remotes(enum checkout_command which_command)
     + 		break;
     + 	}
     + 
     +-	advise(_("If you meant to check out a remote tracking branch on, e.g. 'origin',\n"
      +	advise(_("Branches with the same name appears in multiple remotes:"));
      +	for_each_string_list_item(item, matched_remote_names) {
      +		advise(_("  %s"), item->string);
      +	}
      +	advise(_("If you meant to check out a remote tracking branch on <remote>,\n"
     -+		 "you can do so by fully qualifying the name with the --track option:\n"
     -+		 "\n"
     + 		 "you can do so by fully qualifying the name with the --track option:\n"
     + 		 "\n"
     +-		 "    git %s --track origin/<name>\n"
      +		 "    git %s --track <remote>/%s\n"
     -+		 "\n"
     + 		 "\n"
     +-		 "If you'd like to always have checkouts of an ambiguous <name> prefer\n"
      +		 "If you'd like to always have checkouts of an ambiguous name prefer\n"
     -+		 "one remote, e.g. the 'origin' remote, consider setting\n"
     -+		 "checkout.defaultRemote=origin in your config."),
     + 		 "one remote, e.g. the 'origin' remote, consider setting\n"
     + 		 "checkout.defaultRemote=origin in your config."),
     +-	       cmdname);
      +	       cmdname, branch);
     -+}
     -+
     + }
     + 
       static char *parse_remote_branch(const char *arg,
     - 				 struct object_id *rev,
     - 				 int could_be_checkout_paths,
     +@@ builtin/checkout.c: static char *parse_remote_branch(const char *arg,
       				 enum checkout_command which_command)
       {
       	int num_matches = 0;
     @@ builtin/checkout.c: enum checkout_command {
       	if (remote && could_be_checkout_paths) {
       		die(_("'%s' could be both a local file and a tracking branch.\n"
      @@ builtin/checkout.c: static char *parse_remote_branch(const char *arg,
     - 	}
       
       	if (!remote && num_matches > 1) {
     --	    if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_CHECKOUT_AMBIGUOUS_REMOTE_BRANCH_NAME)) {
     --		    const char *cmdname;
     --
     --		    switch (which_command) {
     --		    case CHECKOUT_CHECKOUT:
     --			    cmdname = "checkout";
     --			    break;
     --		    case CHECKOUT_SWITCH:
     --			    cmdname = "switch";
     --			    break;
     --		    default:
     --			    BUG("command <%d> should not reach parse_remote_branch",
     --				which_command);
     --			    break;
     --		    }
     --
     --		    advise(_("If you meant to check out a remote tracking branch on, e.g. 'origin',\n"
     --			     "you can do so by fully qualifying the name with the --track option:\n"
     --			     "\n"
     --			     "    git %s --track origin/<name>\n"
     --			     "\n"
     --			     "If you'd like to always have checkouts of an ambiguous <name> prefer\n"
     --			     "one remote, e.g. the 'origin' remote, consider setting\n"
     --			     "checkout.defaultRemote=origin in your config."),
     --			   cmdname);
     --	    }
     + 		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_CHECKOUT_AMBIGUOUS_REMOTE_BRANCH_NAME))
     +-			advice_disambiguating_remotes(which_command);
      -
     --	    die(_("'%s' matched multiple (%d) remote tracking branches"),
     --		arg, num_matches);
     -+		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_CHECKOUT_AMBIGUOUS_REMOTE_BRANCH_NAME))
     -+			be_explicit(arg, which_command, &matched_remote_names);
     -+		die(_("'%s' matched multiple (%d) remote tracking branches"),
     -+		    arg, num_matches);
     ++			advise_disambiguating_remotes(which_command, arg,
     ++						      &matched_remote_names);
     + 		die(_("'%s' matched multiple (%d) remote tracking branches"),
     + 		    arg, num_matches);
       	}
       
      +	string_list_clear(&matched_remote_names, 0);
 2:  777862235e ! 3:  dcb84a69a6 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch name
     @@ builtin/worktree.c: static char *dwim_branch(const char *path, char **new_branch
       	return NULL;
       }
       
     -+static void advise_ambiguous_remote(const char *path, const char *branch,
     -+				    const struct string_list *matched_remote_names)
     ++static void advise_disambiguating_remotes(const char *path, const char *branch,
     ++					  const struct string_list *matched_remote_names)
      +{
      +	struct string_list_item *item;
      +
     @@ builtin/worktree.c: static int add(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix,
      +			} else if (num_matches > 1) {
      +				if (!opts.quiet &&
      +				    advice_enabled(ADVICE_CHECKOUT_AMBIGUOUS_REMOTE_BRANCH_NAME))
     -+					advise_ambiguous_remote(path, branch, &matched_remote_names);
     ++					advise_disambiguating_remotes(path, branch,
     ++								      &matched_remote_names);
      +				die(_("'%s' matched multiple (%d) remote tracking branches"),
      +				    branch, num_matches);
       			}
-- 
gitgitgadget
Previous: Yoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadgetNext: Yoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget
Message 29 of 62 in “worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch name”
  1. worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 8, 2026
  2. Junio C HamanoAug 8, 2026
  3. Junio C HamanoAug 8, 2026
  4. Harald NordgrenAug 9, 2026
  5. Junio C HamanoAug 9, 2026
  6. Harald NordgrenAug 10, 2026
  7. Junio C HamanoAug 9, 2026
  8. Yoichi NakayamaAug 10, 2026
  9. Yoichi NakayamaAug 10, 2026
  10. D. Ben KnobleAug 10, 2026
  11. Yoichi NakayamaAug 10, 2026
  12. Junio C HamanoAug 10, 2026
  13. Yoichi NakayamaAug 10, 2026
  14. Ben KnobleAug 11, 2026
  15. Yoichi NakayamaAug 12, 2026
  16. worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 10, 2026
  17. worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 10, 2026
  18. Junio C HamanoAug 11, 2026
  19. Yoichi NakayamaAug 11, 2026
  20. Junio C HamanoAug 12, 2026
  21. Yoichi NakayamaAug 15, 2026
  22. worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 11, 2026
  23. 0/2 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 19, 2026
  24. 1/2 checkout: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 19, 2026
  25. D. Ben KnobleAug 19, 2026
  26. Junio C HamanoAug 20, 2026
  27. Yoichi NakayamaAug 20, 2026
  28. 2/2 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 19, 2026
  29. 0/3 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 20, 2026
  30. 1/3 checkout: extract function to display advice for ambiguous remotesYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 20, 2026
  31. 2/3 checkout: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 20, 2026
  32. 3/3 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 20, 2026
  33. Junio C HamanoAug 21, 2026
  34. Yoichi NakayamaAug 21, 2026
  35. Junio C HamanoAug 21, 2026
  36. Yoichi NakayamaAug 22, 2026
  37. Junio C HamanoAug 22, 2026
  38. Yoichi NakayamaAug 24, 2026
  39. 0/3 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 22, 2026
  40. 1/3 checkout: extract function to display advice for ambiguous remotesYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 22, 2026
  41. 2/3 checkout: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 22, 2026
  42. 3/3 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 22, 2026
  43. Junio C HamanoAug 22, 2026
  44. 0/4 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 25, 2026
  45. 1/4 checkout: extract function to display advice for ambiguous remotesYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 25, 2026
  46. 2/4 checkout: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 25, 2026
  47. 3/4 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 25, 2026
  48. 4/4 worktree add: treat multiple matches with --guess-remote as an errorYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 25, 2026
  49. Junio C HamanoAug 25, 2026
  50. 0/4 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 26, 2026
  51. 1/4 checkout: extract function to display advice for ambiguous remotesYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 26, 2026
  52. Junio C HamanoAug 26, 2026
  53. 2/4 checkout: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 26, 2026
  54. Junio C HamanoAug 26, 2026
  55. 3/4 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 26, 2026
  56. 4/4 worktree add: treat multiple matches with --guess-remote as an errorYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 26, 2026
  57. 0/4 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 27, 2026
  58. 1/4 checkout: extract function to display advice for ambiguous remotesYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 27, 2026
  59. 2/4 checkout: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 27, 2026
  60. 3/4 worktree add: improve message for ambiguous remote branch nameYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 27, 2026
  61. 4/4 worktree add: treat multiple matches with --guess-remote as an errorYoichi NAKAYAMA via GitGitGadget, Aug 27, 2026
  62. Junio C HamanoAug 27, 2026

Read the whole thread, see it on lore, or plain text.

$ cat FOOTERMessages come from the public archive at lore.kernel.org/git, fetched every hour. The front page is chosen and written each morning by an AI editor and can be wrong; the threads themselves are the record. About and API. For agents: an MCP server at https://gitlist.dev/mcp, and any thread, story or person page as Markdown by adding .md to its URL (or sending Accept: text/markdown). Details in /llms.txt.