Documentation: Define symref and update HEAD description

HEAD was still described as a symlink instead of a symref.

Signed-off-by: Petr Baudis <pasky@suse.cz>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>

diff --git a/Documentation/glossary.txt b/Documentation/glossary.txt
index 7e560b0eea83ae7b32e17095f766d84c0b67671f..894883d7b60c4c79263323fc007406c4f3720bac 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/glossary.txt
+++ b/Documentation/glossary.txt
@@ -282,6 +282,13 @@ SCM::
 SHA1::
        Synonym for object name.
 
 SHA1::
        Synonym for object name.
 

+symref::
+       Symbolic reference: instead of containing the SHA1 id itself, it
+       is of the format 'ref: refs/some/thing' and when referenced, it
+       recursively dereferences to this reference. 'HEAD' is a prime
+       example of a symref. Symbolic references are manipulated with
+       the gitlink:git-symbolic-ref[1] command.
+

 topic branch::
        A regular git branch that is used by a developer to
        identify a conceptual line of development.  Since branches
 topic branch::
        A regular git branch that is used by a developer to
        identify a conceptual line of development.  Since branches

diff --git a/Documentation/repository-layout.txt b/Documentation/repository-layout.txt
index 275d18bb545f3b14ad1f7de50d4224f184a507f8..6d8c58ed205cb051cf2a1f8f495d37405cabd398 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/repository-layout.txt
+++ b/Documentation/repository-layout.txt
@@ -70,12 +70,16 @@ refs/tags/`name`::
        object, or a tag object that points at a commit object).
 
 HEAD::
        object, or a tag object that points at a commit object).
 
 HEAD::

-       A symlink of the form `refs/heads/'name'` to point at
-       the current branch, if exists.  It does not mean much if
-       the repository is not associated with any working tree
+       A symref (see glossary) to the `refs/heads/` namespace
+       describing the currently active branch.  It does not mean
+       much if the repository is not associated with any working tree

        (i.e. a 'bare' repository), but a valid git repository
        (i.e. a 'bare' repository), but a valid git repository

-       *must* have such a symlink here.  It is legal if the
-       named branch 'name' does not (yet) exist.
+       *must* have the HEAD file; some porcelains may use it to
+       guess the designated "default" branch of the repository
+       (usually 'master').  It is legal if the named branch
+       'name' does not (yet) exist.  In some legacy setups, it is
+       a symbolic link instead of a symref that points at the current
+       branch.

 
 branches::
        A slightly deprecated way to store shorthands to be used
 
 branches::
        A slightly deprecated way to store shorthands to be used