Jeff King <peff@xxxxxxxx> writes: > On Sat, Aug 04, 2007 at 12:55:43PM +0200, David Kastrup wrote: > >> A local branch is one with a local branch head. In contrast, checking >> out a remote branch, while possible, leaves one with a detached head. > > Yes, if by "remote branch" you mean a "remote tracking branch". Jeff, I actually have no _clue_ what I "mean" with respect to the established git terminology because I can't reconcile the documentation's use of words with my meagre understanding of the technical processes involved. So I can't even tell you whether "by remote branch I mean a remote tracking branch". >> "remote-tracking" basically means that git-pull will update the >> branch according to changes in the remote repository. > > A "remote tracking branch" is a branch in refs/remotes/* that is > updated by _git-fetch_ (which is in turn called by git-pull) to > track a remote's position of a branch. > > A local branch which tracks a remote branch (I don't recall seeing > the phrase "remote-tracking" -- where did this come from?) has the > correct magic in .git/config to pull from a specific remote branch > when 'git-pull' is given without arguments. > >> Creating a branch using git-branch or git-checkout will always >> create a local branch which may or may not be remote-tracking >> according to the --no-track or --track options. > > Yes, although again, I think calling it a "remote-tracking branch" > to mean "a local branch that tracks a remote branch" is confusingly > similar to the more common "remote tracking branch" to mean "a > branch in refs/remotes that track's a remote repository's idea of a > branch". Well, of _course_ it is confusingly similar. After all, I am posting this question because I _am_ confused! And I am trying to both clear up my confusion as well as get an idea how to fix the documentation to be less confusing. >> So there are basically three types of branches in a repository that >> I can see: >> >> local branch, not remote-tracking local branch, remote-tracking >> remote branch, remote-tracking > > No, the remote branch is not remote-tracking in the sense that you > defined above; it is not meant to be pulled into. Sigh. But it is cached and updated locally in some manner when pulling, isn't it? I can diff against it. > I think you are confused by two uses of the word "track". In one > case, we mean that git-fetch will remember the remote's idea of a > branch in refs/remotes/<remote>/<branch>. In another, we mean that a > local branch will default to pulling from a particular > (remote,branch) combination. > >> So the terminology seems fuzzy at the moment, and my attempt to >> clear it up might not be the preferred way of doing it. > > Yes, it is very fuzzy. Using "track" for the concept of a local > branch defaulting to a particular (remote,branch) pair for git-pull > is, I think, more recent and less used. If there were another term > for this, it might be more clear. It is not just git-pull. I don't get the fine lines between "remote", "remote tracking" and the respective details in either the user manual or the manual pages of branch-related commands. And it's actually worse after your explanations. Previously I imagined to have a chance to figure this out on my own, by trying to abstract from what I see happening when using the various commands. Now I think that I basically have no chance figuring this out on my own sufficiently well to be able to improve the documentation. -- David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum - 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
