# Git describe finding wrong tag 3 messages from 2011-02-08 to 2011-02-08. Participants: Kevin Ballard, Johannes Sixt. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/26443 ## Kevin Ballard, 2011-02-08 04:46 Subject: Git describe finding wrong tag Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/A76F5A9B-6E22-40D5-A8C9-C471A22DF1BE%40sb.org ``` I just encountered an odd situation where `git describe` insists on finding the wrong tag. In my case, I tagged a branch, then merged it into another branch, and now `git describe` in that other branch decides that it should emit a tag name that's over 200 commits old rather than the one that's a single commit away. % git --version git version 1.7.4.31.g3f8c4 % git describe build_1.2.2_applestore_1-203-g742967b % git describe HEAD^2 build_1.2.2 Is there any rational for why git-describe is opting for the much older commit? -Kevin Ballard ``` ## Johannes Sixt, 2011-02-08 07:19 Subject: Re: Git describe finding wrong tag Message-ID: <4D50EE88.8070005@viscovery.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/4D50EE88.8070005%40viscovery.net In-Reply-To: ``` Am 2/8/2011 5:46, schrieb Kevin Ballard: > I just encountered an odd situation where `git describe` insists on finding the > wrong tag. In my case, I tagged a branch, then merged it into another branch, > and now `git describe` in that other branch decides that it should emit a tag > name that's over 200 commits old rather than the one that's a single commit > away. > > % git --version > git version 1.7.4.31.g3f8c4 > % git describe > build_1.2.2_applestore_1-203-g742967b > % git describe HEAD^2 > build_1.2.2 > > Is there any rational for why git-describe is opting for the much older > commit? Most likely, the situation outlined in this commit message applies to your case: http://git.kernel.org/?p=git/git.git;a=commit;h=80dbae03 Then what you observe is by design. -- Hannes ``` ## Kevin Ballard, 2011-02-08 07:23 Subject: Re: Git describe finding wrong tag Message-ID: <9FE24A31-F654-4F1D-B36B-28F506B79C63@sb.org> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/9FE24A31-F654-4F1D-B36B-28F506B79C63%40sb.org In-Reply-To: <4D50EE88.8070005@viscovery.net> ``` On Feb 7, 2011, at 11:19 PM, Johannes Sixt wrote: > Am 2/8/2011 5:46, schrieb Kevin Ballard: >> I just encountered an odd situation where `git describe` insists on finding the >> wrong tag. In my case, I tagged a branch, then merged it into another branch, >> and now `git describe` in that other branch decides that it should emit a tag >> name that's over 200 commits old rather than the one that's a single commit >> away. >> >> % git --version >> git version 1.7.4.31.g3f8c4 >> % git describe >> build_1.2.2_applestore_1-203-g742967b >> % git describe HEAD^2 >> build_1.2.2 >> >> Is there any rational for why git-describe is opting for the much older >> commit? > > Most likely, the situation outlined in this commit message applies to your > case: > > http://git.kernel.org/?p=git/git.git;a=commit;h=80dbae03 > > Then what you observe is by design. You are right, that does explain it. It feels rather odd that I can merge in a tagged commit and have `git describe` not then use that tag, but I suppose the new behavior makes sense. Thanks for the explanation. -Kevin Ballard ```