Document git aliases support

diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
index df9a6186746ba8c11bcc518f9d25fcfcabf7a93c..fbdbadc74fbe558285323353b7aa006f3cfd559b 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
@@ -3,19 +3,22 @@ git-checkout(1)
 
 NAME
 ----
-git-checkout - Checkout and switch to a branch.
+git-checkout - Checkout and switch to a branch
 
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
-'git-checkout' [-f] [-b <new_branch>] [-m] [<branch>] [<paths>...]
+[verse]
+'git-checkout' [-f] [-b <new_branch> [-l]] [-m] [<branch>]
+'git-checkout' [-m] [<branch>] <paths>...
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
 
-When <paths> are not given, this command switches branches, by
+When <paths> are not given, this command switches branches by
 updating the index and working tree to reflect the specified
 branch, <branch>, and updating HEAD to be <branch> or, if
-specified, <new_branch>.
+specified, <new_branch>.  Using -b will cause <new_branch> to
+be created.
 
 When <paths> are given, this command does *not* switch
 branches.  It updates the named paths in the working tree from
@@ -29,17 +32,25 @@ given paths before updating the working tree.
 OPTIONS
 -------
 -f::
-       Force an re-read of everything.
+       Force a re-read of everything.
 
 -b::
-       Create a new branch and start it at <branch>.
+       Create a new branch named <new_branch> and start it at
+       <branch>.  The new branch name must pass all checks defined
+       by gitlink:git-check-ref-format[1].  Some of these checks
+       may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
+
+-l::
+       Create the new branch's ref log.  This activates recording of
+       all changes to made the branch ref, enabling use of date
+       based sha1 expressions such as "<branchname>@{yesterday}".
 
 -m::
-       If you have local modifications to a file that is
-       different between the current branch and the branch you
-       are switching to, the command refuses to switch
-       branches, to preserve your modifications in context.
-       With this option, a three-way merge between the current
+       If you have local modifications to one or more files that
+       are different between the current branch and the branch to
+       which you are switching, the command refuses to switch
+       branches in order to preserve your modifications in context.
+       However, with this option, a three-way merge between the current
        branch, your working tree contents, and the new branch
        is done, and you will be on the new branch.
 +
@@ -63,26 +74,26 @@ the `Makefile` to two revisions back, deletes hello.c by
 mistake, and gets it back from the index.
 +
 ------------
-$ git checkout master <1>
-$ git checkout master~2 Makefile <2>
+$ git checkout master             <1>
+$ git checkout master~2 Makefile  <2>
 $ rm -f hello.c
-$ git checkout hello.c <3>
-
+$ git checkout hello.c            <3>
+------------
++
 <1> switch branch
 <2> take out a file out of other commit
-<3> or "git checkout -- hello.c", as in the next example.
-------------
+<3> restore hello.c from HEAD of current branch
 +
-If you have an unfortunate branch that is named `hello.c`, the
-last step above would be confused as an instruction to switch to
-that branch.  You should instead write:
+If you have an unfortunate branch that is named `hello.c`, this
+step would be confused as an instruction to switch to that branch.
+You should instead write:
 +
 ------------
 $ git checkout -- hello.c
 ------------
 
 . After working in a wrong branch, switching to the correct
-branch you would want to is done with:
+branch would be done using:
 +
 ------------
 $ git checkout mytopic