Re: Obscure error/warning/information message from git pull

[Alexis <flexibeast@gmail.com>]

Alan Mackenzie writes:

> The very essence of a branch is its creation on the trunk (or other
> branch) and divergence from it.  Its point of creation is essential -
> without it, it isn't a branch at all.  It seems git simply discards
> this information.

Well, here's a scenario to consider, again using the example from upthread:

              - C - D <- foo
            / 
... - A - B
            \
              - E - F <- bar

Let's say

... - A - B

is an exploratory feature branch called 'experiment'. After commit B,
the group working on this branch split into two camps as to how next to
proceed. So they decided to create two branches, 'foo' and 'bar', off
'experiment', to apply the two camps' respective approaches and see what
problems and solutions result.

At this point, neither 'foo' nor 'bar' are /the/ 'official' continuation
of 'experiment'. From a workflow perspective, they have equal authority
- any linear ordering imposed by when the branches got created is
irrelevant. Yes, at a later time, it might be decided that the 'bar'
branch becomes the 'official' continuation of the 'experiment' branch,
i.e. the structure would become:

              - C - D ... Z <- foo
            /   
... - A - B - E - F ... <- bar

But until that time, it makes no sense to speak of either the 'foo'
branch or 'bar' branch as /the/ continuation of the 'experiment' branch.


Alexis.