Re: [PATCH] checkout: add remoteBranchTemplate config for DWIM branch names

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Dec 22, 2025, 04:40 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqtsxjruwi.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <pull.2136.git.git.1766332796836.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

"Pasteley Absurda via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com> writes:

Show 13 quoted lines

> From: pasteley <ceasebeing@gmail.com>
>
> Add checkout.remoteBranchTemplate to apply a template pattern when
> searching for remote branches during checkout DWIM and when creating
> remote branches with push.autoSetupRemote.
>
> Template uses printf-style placeholders (%s for branch name). For
> example, with "feature/%s", checking out "foo"
> searches for "origin/feature/foo" and creates local "foo"
> tracking it. Pushing with autoSetupRemote creates "origin/feature/bar"
> from local "bar".
>
> Useful when remote branches use prefixes but local branches don't.

It fells that this is presented backwards. The usefulness of the layout that names local branches deliberately differently from their remote counterparts needs to be justified first. Only after that, we can consider adding extra mechanism to support such a layout.

Once "git checkout foo" is taught to do the same as "git checkout -b extra-foo -t origin/foo", it would create

	[branch "extra-foo"] 
		remote = origin
		merge = refs/heads/foo

but the push side would need extra work, and that is why you needed to muck with the push refspec. But then what should happen when the user is using "we do not bother remembering what branches to push there; the remote repository remembers that for us", aka "matching push"?

Most of the problems is what you are creating by using an unusual layout to name local branches differently from the remote counterpart. You do not have to, and then all the problems you created with that layout goes away, without this patch.

So, I am not sure if this is a good idea to begin with. At least, I am not yet convinced.

Thanks.