Hi, Here's a know-nothing view (and I assume you have already done this legwork; just summarizing for myself). Following along in do_push(). Sverre Rabbelier wrote: > When fetching from the remote, the helper is called with 'list', get_ref_map() -> transport_get_remote_refs() -> transport::get_refs_list() [...] > What happens next is the part that confuses me, a certain set of refs > is pushed, by calling the helper with 'push <refspec>'. The transport_push() codepath in transport.c. For remote helpers, it relies on the push_refs() method, calling: - transport::get_refs_list() to get the list of remote refs - get_local_heads() for the local refs - match_refs() to list remote refs matching the refspec/--all/ --mirror - transport::push_refs() to push the list of refs chosen - transport_print_push_status() for a nice message - set_upstreams() to handle --set-upstream requests - transport_update_tracking_ref() to update the local remote-tracking refs. > I am unclear > how this set of refs is chosen remote.c's match_refs() calls: - parse_push_refspec() to convert the refspec strings to structs refspec, separating src, dest, and +/*/no-dest-specified flags - match_explicit_refs() to build a linked list of struct ref explicitly requested with non-wildcard refspecs (the easy ones) - check_pattern_match() for each remote ref, to figure out which refspec, if any, it corresponds to. If any: - Refs outside the refs/heads/ hierarchy are excluded (unless --mirror as used) when not named by a refspec, as you mentioned. - Where actual refspecs are concerned, though, they can match. - A local peer is determined with find_ref_by_name(). - Enforces the "push matching" rule: do not push a new branch unless it was explicitly requested by naming it, --all, or --mirror. > I see that only refs that have a > peer_ref are sent, unless mirror is also set (I don't think I > understand the significance)? $ git log -S'"matching refs"; traditionally we pushed everything' remote.c commit 098e711e6c0d123dff2f38d6b804ec632ad7dd78 Author: Junio C Hamano <gitster@xxxxxxxxx> Date: Sun Jul 1 19:00:08 2007 -0700 "git-push $URL" without refspecs pushes only matching branches When "git push" is run without any refspec (neither on the command line nor in the config), we used to push "matching refs" in the sense that anything under refs/ hierarchy that exist on both ends were updated. This used to be a sane default for publishing your repository to another back when we did not have refs/remotes/ hierarchy, but it does not make much sense these days. This changes the semantics to push only "matching branches". So I suspect this is to ensure that with "[push] default = matching", $ git push pushes branches and not remote-tracking refs, but $ git push --mirror pushes everything. > After the push, the helper write a set > of 'ok/error' messages sometimes for refs that were not asked to be > pushed in the first place Part of transport::push_refs(). I think it only allows status messages for refs that were actually pushed; otherwise it will print warning: helper reported unexpected status of <ref> > Can you clarify the behavior I described? How can I best hook into the > 'refs that need to be pushed selection' in the 'export' command [0]? Hmm --- do you want some other hierarchy than refs/heads/* for the "push matching" rule? Thanks for the nice introduction. -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe git" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html