From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Michael J Gruber Subject: Re: Terminology question: "tracking" branches Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:07:07 +0200 Message-ID: <490030AB.8090207@drmicha.warpmail.net> References: <48F7BBAC.2090907@xiplink.com> <48F83FD0.90606@drmicha.warpmail.net> <48F8A4E8.8070008@xiplink.com> <48F8AA5E.6090908@drmicha.warpmail.net> <48F8ECA2.3040208@xiplink.com> <48FC8624.9090807@fastmail.fm> <48FCB6B8.6090708@xiplink.com> <48FDA5A0.8030506@drmicha.warpmail.net> <48FDF28A.9060606@xiplink.com> <48FF3FEE.8020209@drmicha.warpmail.net> <20081022161302.GC16946@atjola.homenet> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE Cc: Marc Branchaud , Peter Harris , git@vger.kernel.org, Junio C Hamano To: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Bj=F6rn_Steinbrink?= X-From: git-owner@vger.kernel.org Thu Oct 23 10:09:27 2008 connect(): Connection refused Return-path: Envelope-to: gcvg-git-2@gmane.org Received: from vger.kernel.org ([209.132.176.167]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1KsvF8-0006fG-OV for gcvg-git-2@gmane.org; Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:08:31 +0200 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1752826AbYJWIHO convert rfc822-to-quoted-printable (ORCPT ); Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:07:14 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1750999AbYJWIHO (ORCPT ); Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:07:14 -0400 Received: from out3.smtp.messagingengine.com ([66.111.4.27]:54985 "EHLO out3.smtp.messagingengine.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1752866AbYJWIHL (ORCPT ); Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:07:11 -0400 Received: from compute2.internal (compute2.internal [10.202.2.42]) by out1.messagingengine.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7DE77181954; Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:07:10 -0400 (EDT) Received: from heartbeat2.messagingengine.com ([10.202.2.161]) by compute2.internal (MEProxy); Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:07:10 -0400 X-Sasl-enc: rPou5yzDIdoiDEeiv2vI52RVDoRNvk+sZc+kW6QOj636 1224749230 Received: from [139.174.44.12] (whitehead.math.tu-clausthal.de [139.174.44.12]) by mail.messagingengine.com (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 7B82131687; Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:07:09 -0400 (EDT) User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.17 (X11/20080914) In-Reply-To: <20081022161302.GC16946@atjola.homenet> Sender: git-owner@vger.kernel.org Precedence: bulk List-ID: X-Mailing-List: git@vger.kernel.org Archived-At: Bj=F6rn Steinbrink venit, vidit, dixit 22.10.2008 18:13: > On 2008.10.22 16:59:58 +0200, Michael J Gruber wrote: >> - a remote branch (a branch in your local repo which is a copy of a >> branch in a remote repo; stored under refs/remotes, never to be modi= fied >> locally) >> - a (remote) tracking branch (a local branch which is set up to pull >> from a remote branch by default) >=20 > (Remote) tracking branches are actually what you called remote branch= es, > at least according to the git glossary. But I wonder, what is the rig= ht > term for a branch that has the --track setup for pull? Ooops, I'm sorry. I went by the name of the "--track" option and was sure that that "git help branch" used the name "tracking branch" for th= e branches created with "--track", but I was wrong. So: "(remote) tracking branch" is a local branch stored under refs/remotes/ which is a "copy" of a branch on a remote repository. That leaves open: - What does "remote branch" mean, if it means anything at all? It could be used for a branch in a remote repository, i.e. the other side of fetch/push refspec (remote branch:tracking branch). - How to name a local branch created with --track off of a (remote) tracking branch? Local tracking branch? Downstream/work/modification br= anch? I think that linguistically, the confusion comes from using the noun as well as the adjective "remote". As an adjective: "remote something" cleary is something residing remotely. As a noun it's the config added by "git remote add". Note that the glossary doesn't define remote at all. I'd volunteer changing that once the discussion reaches a consensus. My suggestion would be: remote (noun): A configuration as created by "git remote add" which points to a remote repository (using a URL) and sets up refspecs for fetching and/or pulling. Note that the URL may point to a local filesystem or even ".". See also remote (adjective). remote (adjective): Anything residing in another repository. See also remote (noun). local: Sometimes used to emphasize things residing "locally", i.e. in the repository at hand, as opposed to "remotely". tracking branch: A branch tracking a (remote) branch on a remote repository, i.e. a local branch stored under refs/remotes/ which is a "copy" of a branch on a remote repository; typically created by "git clone" or "git remote add/update". remote tracking branch: Synonymous with tracking branch. [remote is a noun, an object for track here] [adjective to be found] branch: A local branch which is set up to pull or rebase automatically from a tracking branch. Used for local modifications to remote branches. [I'm tempted to use local tracking branch here, but that would just add to the confusion.] Come to think of it: "Off-track" branch would be the ideal name for a local branch created off of a (remote) tracking branch, using --track t= o specify the track where things go off. But I'm not sure everyone would like the implied pun... Cheers, Michael