# git branch -v output ambiguous for parser 2 messages from 2015-07-23 to 2015-07-23. Participants: Thibault Kruse, Dennis Kaarsemaker. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/39924 ## Thibault Kruse, 2015-07-23 13:29 Subject: git branch -v output ambiguous for parser Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAByu6UVzsoK%3DOHkYv_zBCYf2YnBqx268TZ%2B_pi98N6pMt_NSgw%40mail.gmail.com ``` Hi, trying to write a git wrapper, I wanted to parse the output of git branch -v However, I realized that the output prints the last commit message at the end of the line, without any disambigution char, or hyphens. This makes it possible to have these outputs: foo 6d29736 [foo/bar] test123 master 9726de6 [ahead 2, behind 2] line 1 line 2 line 3 where foo is a branch that does not track another branch, and the last commit message on branch foo is '[foo/bar] test123'. The opening brackets '[' are even aligned in the output, making that distinction also difficult for the human eye. So as a small improvement I would suggest some separating char or hyphens around the commit message, e.g.: foo 6d29736 '[foo/bar] test123' foo 6d29736 | [foo/bar] test123 regards, Thibault Kruse ``` ## Dennis Kaarsemaker, 2015-07-23 13:44 Subject: Re: git branch -v output ambiguous for parser Message-ID: <1437659074.25048.11.camel@kaarsemaker.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1437659074.25048.11.camel%40kaarsemaker.net In-Reply-To: ``` On do, 2015-07-23 at 15:29 +0200, Thibault Kruse wrote: > Hi, > > trying to write a git wrapper, I wanted to parse the output of git branch -v The output of git branch is not meant to be machine-parsed. Try using git for-each-ref :) -- Dennis Kaarsemaker http://www.kaarsemaker.net ```