Re: [PATCH] documentation: add missing word "ref"
"Monika Kairaitytė via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com> writes:
> When explaining about "the destination ref <dst>", word
> "ref" is included. Logically, it should be the same in the explanation
> of "the source <src>".
"Logically", if <src> and <dst> followed the same rules, but otherwise, it is not a logical conclusion.
What makes me hesitate with this change is the following.
- In "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*", <src> is "refs/heads/*"
and <dst> is "refs/tags/*". Neither is a ref. So it could be
argued that saying "ref" before <dst> is what is wrong in the
current text, and adding "ref" before <src> makes it doubly
wrong.
- In addition, <src> can be a fully spelled object name, to fetch
just a single object. In such a case, it does not even remotely
resemble a ref.
How about this text instead? Would it solve the problem, i.e.
> In the git-fetch documentation, description of <refspec> syntax is not
> entirely clear.
Thanks.
------- >8 -------
Subject: doc: clarify <src> in refspec syntax
We explicitly avoid saying "ref <src>" when introducing the source side of a refspec, because it can be a fully-spelled hexadecimal object name, and it also can be a pattern that is not quite a "ref".
But we are loose when we introduce <dst> and say "ref <dst>", even though it can also be a pattern. Let's omit "ref" also from the destination side.
Clarify that <src> can be a ref, a (limited glob) pattern, or an object name.
Even though the very original design of refspec expected that '*' was used only at the end (e.g., "refs/heads/*" was expected, but not "refs/heads/*-wip"), the code and its use evolved to handle a single '*' anywhere in the pattern. Update the text to remove the mention of "the same prefix". Anything that matches the pattern are named by such a (limited glob) pattern in <src>.
Also put a bit more stress on the fact that we accept only one '*' in the pattern by saying "one and only one `*`".
Helped-by: Monika Kairaitytė <monika@kibit.lt>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
---
Documentation/pull-fetch-param.txt | 7 ++++---
1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
Show changes to diff +4 −3
diff --git c/Documentation/pull-fetch-param.txt w/Documentation/pull-fetch-param.txt
index c718f7946f..d79d2f6065 100644
--- c/Documentation/pull-fetch-param.txt
+++ w/Documentation/pull-fetch-param.txt
@@ -25,14 +25,15 @@ endif::git-pull[]
+
The format of a <refspec> parameter is an optional plus
`+`, followed by the source <src>, followed
-by a colon `:`, followed by the destination ref <dst>.
+by a colon `:`, followed by the destination <dst>.
The colon can be omitted when <dst> is empty. <src> is
-typically a ref, but it can also be a fully spelled hex object
+typically a ref, or a glob pattern with a single `*` that is used
+to match a set of refs, but it can also be a fully spelled hex object
name.
+
A <refspec> may contain a `*` in its <src> to indicate a simple pattern
match. Such a refspec functions like a glob that matches any ref with the
-same prefix. A pattern <refspec> must have a `*` in both the <src> and
+pattern. A pattern <refspec> must have one and only one `*` in both the <src> and
<dst>. It will map refs to the destination by replacing the `*` with the
contents matched from the source.
+
