+/*
+ * Return 0 if a reference named refname could be created without
+ * conflicting with the name of an existing reference. Otherwise,
+ * return a negative value and write an explanation to err. If extras
+ * is non-NULL, it is a list of additional refnames with which refname
+ * is not allowed to conflict. If skip is non-NULL, ignore potential
+ * conflicts with refs in skip (e.g., because they are scheduled for
+ * deletion in the same operation). Behavior is undefined if the same
+ * name is listed in both extras and skip.
+ *
+ * Two reference names conflict if one of them exactly matches the
+ * leading components of the other; e.g., "foo/bar" conflicts with
+ * both "foo" and with "foo/bar/baz" but not with "foo/bar" or
+ * "foo/barbados".
+ *
+ * extras and skip must be sorted.
+ */
+
+int refs_verify_refname_available(struct ref_store *refs,
+ const char *refname,
+ const struct string_list *extra,
+ const struct string_list *skip,
+ struct strbuf *err);
+