2005-10-05 01:45:01 +02:00
|
|
|
git-symbolic-ref(1)
|
|
|
|
|
===================
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NAME
|
|
|
|
|
----
|
2007-01-19 00:53:37 +01:00
|
|
|
git-symbolic-ref - Read and modify symbolic refs
|
2005-10-05 01:45:01 +02:00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SYNOPSIS
|
|
|
|
|
--------
|
2007-01-26 23:26:10 +01:00
|
|
|
'git-symbolic-ref' [-q] [-m <reason>] <name> [<ref>]
|
2005-10-05 01:45:01 +02:00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DESCRIPTION
|
|
|
|
|
-----------
|
|
|
|
|
Given one argument, reads which branch head the given symbolic
|
|
|
|
|
ref refers to and outputs its path, relative to the `.git/`
|
|
|
|
|
directory. Typically you would give `HEAD` as the <name>
|
|
|
|
|
argument to see on which branch your working tree is on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Give two arguments, create or update a symbolic ref <name> to
|
|
|
|
|
point at the given branch <ref>.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006-11-30 11:50:28 +01:00
|
|
|
A symbolic ref is a regular file that stores a string that
|
|
|
|
|
begins with `ref: refs/`. For example, your `.git/HEAD` is
|
|
|
|
|
a regular file whose contents is `ref: refs/heads/master`.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2007-01-15 22:56:05 +01:00
|
|
|
OPTIONS
|
|
|
|
|
-------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-q::
|
|
|
|
|
Do not issue an error message if the <name> is not a
|
|
|
|
|
symbolic ref but a detached HEAD; instead exit with
|
|
|
|
|
non-zero status silently.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2007-01-26 23:26:10 +01:00
|
|
|
-m::
|
|
|
|
|
Update the reflog for <name> with <reason>. This is valid only
|
|
|
|
|
when creating or updating a symbolic ref.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006-11-30 11:50:28 +01:00
|
|
|
NOTES
|
|
|
|
|
-----
|
|
|
|
|
In the past, `.git/HEAD` was a symbolic link pointing at
|
|
|
|
|
`refs/heads/master`. When we wanted to switch to another branch,
|
|
|
|
|
we did `ln -sf refs/heads/newbranch .git/HEAD`, and when we wanted
|
2005-10-05 01:45:01 +02:00
|
|
|
to find out which branch we are on, we did `readlink .git/HEAD`.
|
|
|
|
|
This was fine, and internally that is what still happens by
|
2005-11-17 06:32:44 +01:00
|
|
|
default, but on platforms that do not have working symlinks,
|
|
|
|
|
or that do not have the `readlink(1)` command, this was a bit
|
2005-10-05 01:45:01 +02:00
|
|
|
cumbersome. On some platforms, `ln -sf` does not even work as
|
2006-11-30 11:50:28 +01:00
|
|
|
advertised (horrors). Therefore symbolic links are now deprecated
|
|
|
|
|
and symbolic refs are used by default.
|
2005-10-05 01:45:01 +02:00
|
|
|
|
2007-01-15 23:25:33 +01:00
|
|
|
git-symbolic-ref will exit with status 0 if the contents of the
|
|
|
|
|
symbolic ref were printed correctly, with status 1 if the requested
|
|
|
|
|
name is not a symbolic ref, or 128 if another error occurs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005-10-05 01:45:01 +02:00
|
|
|
Author
|
|
|
|
|
------
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GIT
|
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
|
Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite
|
