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git-check-ref-format(1)
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NAME
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git-check-ref-format - Make sure ref name is well formed
SYNOPSIS
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'git-check-ref-format' <refname>
DESCRIPTION
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Checks if a given 'refname' is acceptable, and exits non-zero if
it is not.
A reference is used in git to specify branches and tags. A
branch head is stored under `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads` directory, and
a tag is stored under `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags` directory. git
imposes the following rules on how refs are named:
. It can include slash `/` for hierarchical (directory)
grouping, but no slash-separated component can begin with a
dot `.`;
. It cannot have two consecutive dots `..` anywhere;
. It cannot have ASCII control character (i.e. bytes whose
values are lower than \040, or \177 `DEL`), space, tilde `~`,
caret `{caret}`, colon `:`, question-mark `?`, asterisk `*`,
or open bracket `[` anywhere;
. It cannot end with a slash `/`.
These rules makes it easy for shell script based tools to parse
refnames, pathname expansion by the shell when a refname is used
unquoted (by mistake), and also avoids ambiguities in certain
refname expressions (see linkgit:git-rev-parse[1]). Namely:
. double-dot `..` are often used as in `ref1..ref2`, and in some
context this notation means `{caret}ref1 ref2` (i.e. not in
ref1 and in ref2).
. tilde `~` and caret `{caret}` are used to introduce postfix
'nth parent' and 'peel onion' operation.
. colon `:` is used as in `srcref:dstref` to mean "use srcref\'s
value and store it in dstref" in fetch and push operations.
It may also be used to select a specific object such as with
linkgit:git-cat-file[1] "git-cat-file blob v1.3.3:refs.c".
GIT
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Part of the linkgit:git[7] suite