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.TH "GIT-CHECK-REF-FORM" 1 "" "" ""
.SH NAME
git-check-ref-format \- Make sure ref name is well formed
.SH "SYNOPSIS"


\fIgit\-check\-ref\-format\fR <refname>

.SH "DESCRIPTION"


Checks if a given \fIrefname\fR 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:

.TP 3
1.
It could be named hierarchically (i\&.e\&. separated with slash /), but each of its component cannot begin with a dot \&.;
.TP
2.
It cannot have two consecutive dots \&.\&. anywhere;
.TP
3.
It cannot have ASCII control character (i\&.e\&. bytes whose values are lower than \\040, or \\177 DEL), space, tilde ~, caret ^, colon :, question\-mark ?, asterisk *, or open bracket [ anywhere;
.TP
4.
It cannot end with a slash /\&.
.LP


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 \fBgit\-rev\-parse\fR(1))\&. Namely:

.TP 3
1.
double\-dot \&.\&. are often used as in ref1\&.\&.ref2, and in some context this notation means ^ref1 ref2 (i\&.e\&. not in ref1 and in ref2)\&.
.TP
2.
tilde ~ and caret ^ are used to introduce postfix \fInth parent\fR and \fIpeel onion\fR operation\&.
.TP
3.
colon : is used as in srcref:dstref to mean "use srcref's value and store it in dstref" in fetch and push operations\&.
.LP

.SH "GIT"


Part of the \fBgit\fR(7) suite