Merge branch 'np/push-delta'

[git.git] / Documentation / git-check-ref-format.txt

diff --git a/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt b/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt
index 9b707a7030b0128a32e3290f2325754d608624e3..0873e60f7f61f51143e88fd8637b34627620a7dd 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-check-ref-format.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ git-check-ref-format(1)
 
 NAME
 ----
-git-check-ref-format - Make sure ref name is well formed
+git-check-ref-format - Ensures that a reference name is well formed
 
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
@@ -13,24 +13,28 @@ SYNOPSIS
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
-Checks if a given 'refname' is acceptable, and exits non-zero if
-it is not.
+Checks if a given 'refname' is acceptable, and exits with a non-zero
+status 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:
+branch head is stored under the `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads` directory, and
+a tag is stored under the `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags` directory.  git
+imposes the following rules on how references are named:
 
-. It can include slash `/` for hierarchical (directory)
+. They can include slash `/` for hierarchical (directory)
   grouping, but no slash-separated component can begin with a
-  dot `.`;
+  dot `.`.
 
-. It cannot have two consecutive dots `..` anywhere;
+. They must contain at least one `/`. This enforces the presence of a
+  category like `heads/`, `tags/` etc. but the actual names are not
+  restricted.
 
-. It cannot have ASCII control character (i.e. bytes whose
+. They cannot have two consecutive dots `..` anywhere.
+
+. They cannot have ASCII control characters (i.e. bytes whose
   values are lower than \040, or \177 `DEL`), space, tilde `~`,
   caret `{caret}`, colon `:`, question-mark `?`, asterisk `*`,
-  or open bracket `[` anywhere;
+  or open bracket `[` anywhere.
 
 . They cannot end with a slash `/` nor a dot `.`.
 
@@ -38,19 +42,19 @@ imposes the following rules on how refs are named:
 
 . They cannot contain a sequence `@{`.
 
-These rules makes it easy for shell script based tools to parse
-refnames, pathname expansion by the shell when a refname is used
+These rules make it easy for shell script based tools to parse
+reference names, pathname expansion by the shell when a reference name is used
 unquoted (by mistake), and also avoids ambiguities in certain
-refname expressions (see linkgit:git-rev-parse[1]).  Namely:
+reference name expressions (see linkgit:git-rev-parse[1]):
 
-. 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).
+. A double-dot `..` is often used as in `ref1..ref2`, and in some
+  contexts this notation means `{caret}ref1 ref2` (i.e. not in
+  `ref1` and in `ref2`).
 
-. tilde `~` and caret `{caret}` are used to introduce postfix
+. A tilde `~` and caret `{caret}` are used to introduce the postfix
   'nth parent' and 'peel onion' operation.
 
-. colon `:` is used as in `srcref:dstref` to mean "use srcref\'s
+. A 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
   'git-cat-file': "git cat-file blob v1.3.3:refs.c".