Re: [PATCH] branch doc: Change `git branch <pattern>` to use `<branchname>`

[Ramsay Jones <ramsay@ramsayjones.plus.com>]

On 23/03/17 17:01, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason  <avarab@gmail.com> writes:
> 
>> Change an example for `git branch <pattern>` to say `git branch
>> <branchname>` to be consistent with the synopsis. This changes
>> documentation added in d8d33736b5 ("branch: allow pattern arguments",
>> 2011-08-28).
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@gmail.com>
>> ---
>>  Documentation/git-branch.txt | 2 +-
>>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/Documentation/git-branch.txt b/Documentation/git-branch.txt
>> index 092f1bcf9f..e65e5c0dee 100644
>> --- a/Documentation/git-branch.txt
>> +++ b/Documentation/git-branch.txt
>> @@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ This option is only applicable in non-verbose mode.
>>  	List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.
>>  
>>  --list::
>> -	Activate the list mode. `git branch <pattern>` would try to create a branch,
>> +	Activate the list mode. `git branch <branchname>` would try to create a branch,
>>  	use `git branch --list <pattern>` to list matching branches.
> 
> This makes the description more correct.
> 
> I am not sure if it makes that much sense to have that sentence here
> in the first place (after all, it is describing a behaviour of a
> mode that is *not* the list mode), but I guess that it may be a
> common mistake to forget to specify "-l" while asking for branches
> that match the pattern?  If we were writing this today from scratch,
> I would perhaps write something entirely different, e.g.
> 
> 	--list::
> 		List branches.  With optional <pattern>... at the
> 		end of the command line, list only the branches that
> 		match any of the given patterns.  Do not forget '-l'
> 		and say "git branch <pattern>", as it will instead
> 		try to create a new branch whose name is <pattern>,
> 		which is a common mistake.

Hmm, but with git-branch -l means --create-reflog not --list.

I have make the mistake of using -l rather than --list several
times ... :D

ATB,
Ramsay Jones