[RFC PATCH 1/2] add a --delete option to git push

[Sverre Rabbelier <srabbelier@gmail.com>]

Those new to git have a hard time learning how to delete a remote
ref. This makes it easier for them to find out how by providing a
flag to git push.

Signed-off-by: Sverre Rabbelier <srabbelier@gmail.com>
---

    Currently `git push --delete master:master` results in a somewhat
    cryptic error message. It seems unlikely however, that those new
    to git would use the 'old:new' notation, so I haven't bothered
    guarding against it and settled for documenting it.

 Documentation/git-push.txt |    8 +++++++-
 builtin-push.c             |   10 +++++++++-
 2 files changed, 16 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/git-push.txt b/Documentation/git-push.txt
index 58d2bd5..1ecc6ca 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-push.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-push.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
 'git push' [--all | --mirror | --tags] [--dry-run] [--receive-pack=<git-receive-pack>]
-	   [--repo=<repository>] [-f | --force] [-v | --verbose]
+	   [--repo=<repository>] [-f | --force] [-v | --verbose] [-d | --delete]
 	   [<repository> <refspec>...]
 
 DESCRIPTION
@@ -137,6 +137,12 @@ useful if you write an alias or script around 'git-push'.
 --verbose::
 	Run verbosely.
 
+-d::
+--delete::
+    Delete the specified refs. Prefixes all refs with ':' to tell the
+    push machinery to delete the specified ref. As such, the refs
+    that are to be deleted should not contain a ':' specifier.
+
 include::urls-remotes.txt[]
 
 OUTPUT
diff --git a/builtin-push.c b/builtin-push.c
index 67f6d96..b954235 100644
--- a/builtin-push.c
+++ b/builtin-push.c
@@ -10,11 +10,12 @@
 #include "parse-options.h"
 
 static const char * const push_usage[] = {
-	"git push [--all | --mirror] [--dry-run] [--porcelain] [--tags] [--receive-pack=<git-receive-pack>] [--repo=<repository>] [-f | --force] [-v] [<repository> <refspec>...]",
+	"git push [--all | --mirror] [--dry-run] [--porcelain] [--tags] [--receive-pack=<git-receive-pack>] [--repo=<repository>] [-f | --force] [-v] [-d | --delete] [<repository> <refspec>...]",
 	NULL,
 };
 
 static int thin;
+static int push_delete;
 static const char *receivepack;
 
 static const char **refspec;
@@ -44,6 +45,12 @@ static void set_refspecs(const char **refs, int nr)
 			strcat(tag, refs[i]);
 			ref = tag;
 		}
+		if (push_delete) {
+			struct strbuf deleted = STRBUF_INIT;
+			strbuf_addstr(&deleted, ":");
+			strbuf_addstr(&deleted, refs[i]);
+			ref = strbuf_detach(&deleted, NULL);
+		}
 		add_refspec(ref);
 	}
 }
@@ -188,6 +195,7 @@ int cmd_push(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_BOOLEAN( 0 , "thin", &thin, "use thin pack"),
 		OPT_STRING( 0 , "receive-pack", &receivepack, "receive-pack", "receive pack program"),
 		OPT_STRING( 0 , "exec", &receivepack, "receive-pack", "receive pack program"),
+		OPT_BOOLEAN('d', "delete", &push_delete, "delete ref"),
 		OPT_END()
 	};
 
-- 
1.6.4.16.g72c66.dirty