From: Kristoffer Haugsbakk <code@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> We can only check out commits or branches, not refs in general. And the problem here is if another worktree is using the branch that we want to check out. Let’s be more direct and just talk about branches instead of refs. Also replace “be held” with “in use”. Further, “in use” is not restricted to a branch being checked out (e.g. the branch could be busy on a rebase), hence generalize to “or otherwise in use” in the option description. Signed-off-by: Kristoffer Haugsbakk <code@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> --- Notes (series): v2: • Commit to replacing “be held” with “in use” • Also mention “in use” in the commit message • Add “or otherwise in use” • Flow/format `--ignore-other-worktrees` paragraph since a line was getting long ❦ (from v1) I also change “is holding” to “is using”. This has plenty of precedence: 1. The code ultimately calls `builtin/checkout.c:die_if_switching_to_a_branch_in_use` which says that we die if the branch is “in use” by another worktree, just like we do here for the new description string on `--ignore-other-worktrees` (c.f. “holding the given ref”). 2. `man git checkout` uses the phrase “in use by” when talking about the branch being checked out in another worktree. Documentation/git-checkout.txt | 8 ++++---- builtin/checkout.c | 2 +- 2 files changed, 5 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt index 8bdfa54ab09..bf26655764f 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt @@ -290,10 +290,10 @@ Note that this option uses the no overlay mode by default (see also `--overlay`), and currently doesn't support overlay mode. --ignore-other-worktrees:: - `git checkout` refuses when the wanted ref is already checked - out by another worktree. This option makes it check the ref - out anyway. In other words, the ref can be held by more than one - worktree. + `git checkout` refuses when the wanted branch is already checked + out or otherwise in use by another worktree. This option makes + it check the branch out anyway. In other words, the branch can + be in use by more than one worktree. --overwrite-ignore:: --no-overwrite-ignore:: diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c index 9c30000d3af..c449558e663 100644 --- a/builtin/checkout.c +++ b/builtin/checkout.c @@ -1716,7 +1716,7 @@ static struct option *add_common_switch_branch_options( N_("update ignored files (default)"), PARSE_OPT_NOCOMPLETE), OPT_BOOL(0, "ignore-other-worktrees", &opts->ignore_other_worktrees, - N_("do not check if another worktree is holding the given ref")), + N_("do not check if another worktree is using this branch")), OPT_END() }; struct option *newopts = parse_options_concat(prevopts, options); Interdiff against v1: diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt index b00b375dd27..bf26655764f 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt @@ -291,9 +291,9 @@ Note that this option uses the no overlay mode by default (see also --ignore-other-worktrees:: `git checkout` refuses when the wanted branch is already checked - out by another worktree. This option makes it check the branch - out anyway. In other words, the branch can be held by more than one - worktree. + out or otherwise in use by another worktree. This option makes + it check the branch out anyway. In other words, the branch can + be in use by more than one worktree. --overwrite-ignore:: --no-overwrite-ignore:: -- 2.46.1.641.g54e7913fcb6