On Tue, Nov 22 2022, Jacob Abel wrote: > On 22/11/22 12:16AM, Eric Sunshine wrote: >> On Sat, Nov 19, 2022 at 6:49 AM Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason >> <avarab@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: >> > On Sat, Nov 19 2022, Jacob Abel wrote: >> > > I'd support adding an `advise()` for at least the basic case where you try to >> > > create a worktree and no branches currently exist in the repository. >> > > i.e. something like this: >> > > >> > > % git -C foo.git worktree add foobar/ >> > > hint: If you meant to create a new initial branch for this repository, >> > > hint: e.g. 'main', you can do so using the --orphan option: >> > > hint: >> > > hint: git worktree add --orphan main main/ >> > > hint: >> > > fatal: invalid reference: 'foobar' >> > > and >> > > % git -C foo.git worktree add -b foobar foobardir/ >> > > hint: If you meant to create a new initial branch for this repository, >> > > hint: e.g. 'main', you can do so using the --orphan option: >> > > hint: >> > > hint: git worktree add --orphan main main/ >> > > hint: >> > > fatal: invalid reference: 'foobar' >> > >> > I think those would make sense, yes. >> >> Yes, this sort of advice could go a long way toward addressing my >> discoverability concerns. (I think, too, we should be able to >> dynamically customize the advice to mention "foobar" rather than >> "main" in order to more directly help the user.) Along with that, >> explaining this use-case in the git-worktree documentation would also >> be valuable for improving discoverability. > > Perfect. I think I've got this working already on my end using more or less > the following: > > diff --git a/builtin/worktree.c b/builtin/worktree.c > index 71786b72f6..f65b63d9d2 100644 > --- a/builtin/worktree.c > +++ b/builtin/worktree.c > @@ -736,7 +736,21 @@ static int add(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix) > if (!opts.quiet) > print_preparing_worktree_line(opts.detach, branch, new_branch, !!new_branch_force); > > - if (new_branch && !opts.orphan_branch) { > + if (opts.orphan_branch) { > + branch = new_branch; > + } else if (!lookup_commit_reference_by_name("head")) { > + /* > + * if head does not reference a valid commit, only worktrees > + * based on orphan branches can be created. > + */ > + advise("if you meant to create a new orphan branch for this repository,\n" > + "e.g. '%s', you can do so using the --orphan option:\n" > + "\n" > + " git worktree add --orphan %s %s\n" > + "\n", > + new_branch, new_branch, path); We don't consistently check for this, unfortunately (but I have some local patches for it), but to add an advice you should: * Add it to Documentation/config/advice.txt (in sorted order) * Add the corresponding enum to advice.h * And to the advice.c listing * Then use advise_if_enabled(<that new enum>, ...) in cases such as this one. * End your message with a suggstion about how to disable the advice: git grep -W -F 'git config advice.' -- '*.c' That's rather tedious, sorry, but that's the extent of the current boilerplate...