From: Derrick Stolee <derrickstolee@xxxxxxxxxx> It is helpful to distinguish between a 'working tree' and a 'worktree'. A worktree contains a working tree plus additional metadata. This metadata includes per-worktree refs and worktree-specific config. This is the first of multiple changes to git-worktree.txt, restricted to the DESCRIPTION section. Helped-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@xxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Derrick Stolee <derrickstolee@xxxxxxxxxx> --- Documentation/git-worktree.txt | 50 ++++++++++++++++++---------------- 1 file changed, 27 insertions(+), 23 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/git-worktree.txt b/Documentation/git-worktree.txt index b8d53c48303..956c17c4306 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-worktree.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-worktree.txt @@ -25,45 +25,49 @@ Manage multiple working trees attached to the same repository. A git repository can support multiple working trees, allowing you to check out more than one branch at a time. With `git worktree add` a new working -tree is associated with the repository. This new working tree is called a -"linked working tree" as opposed to the "main working tree" prepared by -linkgit:git-init[1] or linkgit:git-clone[1]. -A repository has one main working tree (if it's not a -bare repository) and zero or more linked working trees. When you are done -with a linked working tree, remove it with `git worktree remove`. +tree is associated with the repository, along with additional metadata +that differentiates that working tree from others in the same repository. +The working tree, along with this metadata, is called a "worktree". + +This new worktree is called a "linked worktree" as opposed to the "main +worktree" prepared by linkgit:git-init[1] or linkgit:git-clone[1]. +A repository has one main worktree (if it's not a bare repository) and +zero or more linked worktrees. When you are done with a linked worktree, +remove it with `git worktree remove`. In its simplest form, `git worktree add <path>` automatically creates a new branch whose name is the final component of `<path>`, which is convenient if you plan to work on a new topic. For instance, `git worktree add ../hotfix` creates new branch `hotfix` and checks it out at -path `../hotfix`. To instead work on an existing branch in a new working -tree, use `git worktree add <path> <branch>`. On the other hand, if you -just plan to make some experimental changes or do testing without -disturbing existing development, it is often convenient to create a -'throwaway' working tree not associated with any branch. For instance, -`git worktree add -d <path>` creates a new working tree with a detached -`HEAD` at the same commit as the current branch. +path `../hotfix`. To instead work on an existing branch in a new worktree, +use `git worktree add <path> <branch>`. On the other hand, if you just +plan to make some experimental changes or do testing without disturbing +existing development, it is often convenient to create a 'throwaway' +worktree not associated with any branch. For instance, +`git worktree add -d <path>` creates a new worktree with a detached `HEAD` +at the same commit as the current branch. If a working tree is deleted without using `git worktree remove`, then its associated administrative files, which reside in the repository (see "DETAILS" below), will eventually be removed automatically (see `gc.worktreePruneExpire` in linkgit:git-config[1]), or you can run -`git worktree prune` in the main or any linked working tree to -clean up any stale administrative files. +`git worktree prune` in the main or any linked worktree to clean up any +stale administrative files. -If a linked working tree is stored on a portable device or network share -which is not always mounted, you can prevent its administrative files from -being pruned by issuing the `git worktree lock` command, optionally -specifying `--reason` to explain why the working tree is locked. +If the working tree for a linked worktree is stored on a portable device +or network share which is not always mounted, you can prevent its +administrative files from being pruned by issuing the `git worktree lock` +command, optionally specifying `--reason` to explain why the worktree is +locked. COMMANDS -------- add <path> [<commit-ish>]:: -Create `<path>` and checkout `<commit-ish>` into it. The new working directory -is linked to the current repository, sharing everything except working -directory specific files such as `HEAD`, `index`, etc. As a convenience, -`<commit-ish>` may be a bare "`-`", which is synonymous with `@{-1}`. +Create a worktree at `<path>` and checkout `<commit-ish>` into it. The new worktree +is linked to the current repository, sharing everything except per-worktree +files such as `HEAD`, `index`, etc. As a convenience, `<commit-ish>` may +be a bare "`-`", which is synonymous with `@{-1}`. + If `<commit-ish>` is a branch name (call it `<branch>`) and is not found, and neither `-b` nor `-B` nor `--detach` are used, but there does -- gitgitgadget