Re: [PATCH 2/3] checkout.txt: document a common case that ignores ambiguation rules

From

Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

Date

Sep 9, 2016, 19:21 UTC

Message-ID

<xmqqfup8c21t.fsf@gitster.mtv.corp.google.com>

In-Reply-To

<xmqq7famgnwo.fsf@gitster.mtv.corp.google.com>

diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
index 46b04b1..8e2c066 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
@@ -419,14 +419,17 @@ $ git reflog -2 HEAD # or
 $ git log -g -2 HEAD
 ------------
 
-ARGUMENT AMBIGUATION
---------------------
+ARGUMENT DISAMBIGUATION
+-----------------------
 
 When there is only one argument given and it is not `--` (e.g. "git
-checkout abc"), "abc" could be seen as either a `<tree-ish>` or a
-`<pathspec>`, but Git will assume the argument is a `<tree-ish>`, which is
-a common case for switching branches. Use `git checkout -- <pathspec>`
-form if you mean it to be a pathspec.
+checkout abc"), and when the argument is both a valid `<tree-ish>`
+(e.g. a branch "abc" exists) and a valid `<pathspec>` (e.g. a file
+or a directory whose name is "abc" exists), Git would usually ask
+you to disambiguate.  Because checking out a branch is so common an
+operation, however, "git checkout abc" takes "abc" as a `<tree-ish>`
+in such a situation.  Use `git checkout -- <pathspec>` if you want
+to checkout these paths out of the index.
 
 EXAMPLES
 --------

-- 
2.10.0-339-gc0c747f