SYNOPSIS
--------
+[verse]
'git check-ref-format' <refname>
+'git check-ref-format' --print <refname>
+'git check-ref-format' --branch <branchname-shorthand>
DESCRIPTION
-----------
grouping, but no slash-separated component can begin with a
dot `.`.
+. They must contain at least one `/`. This enforces the presence of a
+ category like `heads/`, `tags/` etc. but the actual names are not
+ restricted.
+
. They cannot have two consecutive dots `..` anywhere.
. They cannot have ASCII control characters (i.e. bytes whose
caret `{caret}`, colon `:`, question-mark `?`, asterisk `*`,
or open bracket `[` anywhere.
-. They cannot end with a slash `/`.
+. They cannot end with a slash `/` nor a dot `.`.
+
+. They cannot end with the sequence `.lock`.
+
+. They cannot contain a sequence `@{`.
+
+- They cannot contain a `\\`.
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
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".
+. at-open-brace `@{` is used as a notation to access a reflog entry.
+
+With the `--print` option, if 'refname' is acceptable, it prints the
+canonicalized name of a hypothetical reference with that name. That is,
+it prints 'refname' with any extra `/` characters removed.
+
+With the `--branch` option, it expands the ``previous branch syntax''
+`@{-n}`. For example, `@{-1}` is a way to refer the last branch you
+were on. This option should be used by porcelains to accept this
+syntax anywhere a branch name is expected, so they can act as if you
+typed the branch name.
+
+EXAMPLES
+--------
+
+* Print the name of the previous branch:
++
+------------
+$ git check-ref-format --branch @{-1}
+------------
+
+* Determine the reference name to use for a new branch:
++
+------------
+$ ref=$(git check-ref-format --print "refs/heads/$newbranch") ||
+die "we do not like '$newbranch' as a branch name."
+------------
GIT
---