From: Han-Wen Nienhuys <hanwen@xxxxxxxxxx> This commit does not change code; it documents the fact that an alternate ref backend does not need to return EINVAL from read_raw_ref_fn to function properly. This is correct, because refs_read_raw_ref is only called from; * resolve_ref_unsafe(), which does not care for the EINVAL errno result. * refs_verify_refname_available(), which does not inspect errno. * files-backend.c, where errno is overwritten on failure. * packed-backend.c (is_packed_transaction_needed), which calls it for the packed ref backend, which never emits EINVAL. A grep for EINVAL */*c reveals that no code checks errno against EINVAL after reading references. In addition, the refs.h file does not mention errno at all. A grep over resolve_ref_unsafe() turned up the following callers that inspect errno: * sequencer.c::print_commit_summary, which uses it for die_errno * lock_ref_oid_basic(), which only treats EISDIR and ENOTDIR specially. The files ref backend does use EINVAL. The files backend does not call into the generic API (refs_read_raw), but into the files-specific function (files_read_raw_ref), which we are not changing in this commit. As the errno sideband is unintuitive and error-prone, remove EINVAL value, as a step towards getting rid of the errno sideband altogether. Spotted by Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@xxxxxxxxx>. Signed-off-by: Han-Wen Nienhuys <hanwen@xxxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@xxxxxxxxx> --- refs/refs-internal.h | 6 +++--- 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h index d496c5ed52d..1c6e5ab51d7 100644 --- a/refs/refs-internal.h +++ b/refs/refs-internal.h @@ -622,9 +622,9 @@ typedef int reflog_expire_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store, * * Return 0 on success. If the ref doesn't exist, set errno to ENOENT * and return -1. If the ref exists but is neither a symbolic ref nor - * an object ID, it is broken; set REF_ISBROKEN in type, set errno to - * EINVAL, and return -1. If there is another error reading the ref, - * set errno appropriately and return -1. + * an object ID, it is broken; set REF_ISBROKEN in type, and return -1 + * (errno should not be ENOENT) If there is another error reading the + * ref, set errno appropriately and return -1. * * Backend-specific flags might be set in type as well, regardless of * outcome. -- 2.33.0.662.g438caf9576d