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.TH "GIT\-CHECK\-REF\-FORMAT" "1" "09/19/2007" "Git 1.5.3.2" "Git Manual"
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.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 can include slash / for hierarchical (directory) grouping, but no slash\-separated component can 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 /.

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. It may also be used to select a specific object such as with \fBgit\-cat\-file\fR(1) "git\-cat\-file blob v1.3.3:refs.c".
.SH "GIT"
Part of the \fBgit\fR(7) suite