Re: [PATCH] Remove branch by putting a null sha1 into the ref file.

Christian Couder [off-list ref] writes:

If we move ".git/refs/heads/frotz/nitfol" 
to ".git/deleted-refs/heads/frotz/nitfol" when we remove this ref, we only 
need to try to rmdir all subdirectories under ".git/refs/heads/frotz/" and 
then ".git/refs/heads/frotz/" to see if we can 
create ".git/refs/heads/frotz", and if we can, we won't 
resurect "frotz/nitfol" because ".git/deleted-refs/heads/frotz/nitfol" 
still exists.

I am not sure if that would be workable.  I suspect that you
would need to do quite an involved sequence in "git branch" to
make this sequence to work with .git/deleted-refs/ scheme:

	git branch frotz/nitfol
        git pack-refs --prune
        git branch -d frotz/nitfol
        git branch frotz
        git pack-refs
        git branch -d frotz

After deleting frotz/nitfol you would create frotz/nitfol in
deleted hierarchy.  Then when you delete frotz you would need to
create frotz in deleted hierarchy, but you cannot, without
losing frotz/nitfol.

Junio C Hamano wrote:

Christian Couder [off-list ref] writes:

quoted

If we move ".git/refs/heads/frotz/nitfol"
to ".git/deleted-refs/heads/frotz/nitfol" when we remove this ref, we
only need to try to rmdir all subdirectories under
".git/refs/heads/frotz/" and then ".git/refs/heads/frotz/" to see if we
can
create ".git/refs/heads/frotz", and if we can, we won't
resurect "frotz/nitfol" because ".git/deleted-refs/heads/frotz/nitfol"
still exists.

I am not sure if that would be workable.  I suspect that you
would need to do quite an involved sequence in "git branch" to
make this sequence to work with .git/deleted-refs/ scheme:

	git branch frotz/nitfol
        git pack-refs --prune
        git branch -d frotz/nitfol
        git branch frotz
        git pack-refs
        git branch -d frotz

After deleting frotz/nitfol you would create frotz/nitfol in
deleted hierarchy.  Then when you delete frotz you would need to
create frotz in deleted hierarchy, but you cannot, without
losing frotz/nitfol.

You are right, so what about moving ".git/refs/heads/frotz" 
to ".git/deleted-refs/heads/frotz.ref" 
or ".git/deleted-refs/heads/frotz~ref" (because "~" is forbidden in ref 
names).

Christian.