Subject: [PATCH v13 1/2] branch: expose helpers for finding the remote owning a tracking ref

From: "Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 23 May 2026 19:48:33 +0000

From: Harald Nordgren <[email-masked]>

The remote-lookup that setup_tracking() does is useful outside
branch.c too; for example, deciding which remote to "git fetch"
from given a remote-tracking ref.

Move 'struct tracking' to branch.h and add two helpers backed by the
existing for_each_remote walk: find_tracking_remote_for_ref() and
advise_ambiguous_fetch_refspec(). setup_tracking() uses both. No
behavior change.

Signed-off-by: Harald Nordgren <[email-masked]>
---
 branch.c | 96 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------------------------
 branch.h | 16 ++++++++++
 2 files changed, 68 insertions(+), 44 deletions(-)

diff --git a/branch.c b/branch.c
index 243db7d0fc..46ae7f0035 100644
--- a/branch.c
+++ b/branch.c
@@ -20,16 +20,9 @@
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "strmap.h"
 
-struct tracking {
-	struct refspec_item spec;
-	struct string_list *srcs;
-	const char *remote;
-	int matches;
-};
-
 struct find_tracked_branch_cb {
 	struct tracking *tracking;
-	struct string_list ambiguous_remotes;
+	struct string_list *ambiguous_remotes;
 };
 
 static int find_tracked_branch(struct remote *remote, void *priv)
@@ -45,10 +38,10 @@ static int find_tracked_branch(struct remote *remote, void *priv)
 			break;
 		case 2:
 			/* there are at least two remotes; backfill the first one */
-			string_list_append(&ftb->ambiguous_remotes, tracking->remote);
+			string_list_append(ftb->ambiguous_remotes, tracking->remote);
 			/* fall through */
 		default:
-			string_list_append(&ftb->ambiguous_remotes, remote->name);
+			string_list_append(ftb->ambiguous_remotes, remote->name);
 			free(tracking->spec.src);
 			string_list_clear(tracking->srcs, 0);
 		break;
@@ -59,6 +52,51 @@ static int find_tracked_branch(struct remote *remote, void *priv)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+void find_tracking_remote_for_ref(struct tracking *tracking,
+				  struct string_list *ambiguous_remotes)
+{
+	struct find_tracked_branch_cb ftb_cb = {
+		.tracking = tracking,
+		.ambiguous_remotes = ambiguous_remotes,
+	};
+
+	for_each_remote(find_tracked_branch, &ftb_cb);
+}
+
+void advise_ambiguous_fetch_refspec(const char *dst,
+				    const struct string_list *ambiguous_remotes)
+{
+	struct strbuf remotes_advice = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct string_list_item *item;
+
+	if (!advice_enabled(ADVICE_AMBIGUOUS_FETCH_REFSPEC))
+		return;
+
+	for_each_string_list_item(item, ambiguous_remotes)
+		/*
+		 * TRANSLATORS: This is a line listing a remote with duplicate
+		 * refspecs in the advice message below. For RTL languages you'll
+		 * probably want to swap the "%s" and leading "  " space around.
+		 */
+		strbuf_addf(&remotes_advice, _("  %s\n"), item->string);
+
+	/*
+	 * TRANSLATORS: The second argument is a \n-delimited list of
+	 * duplicate refspecs, composed above.
+	 */
+	advise(_("There are multiple remotes whose fetch refspecs map to the remote\n"
+		 "tracking ref '%s':\n"
+		 "%s"
+		 "\n"
+		 "This is typically a configuration error.\n"
+		 "\n"
+		 "To support setting up tracking branches, ensure that\n"
+		 "different remotes' fetch refspecs map into different\n"
+		 "tracking namespaces."), dst,
+	       remotes_advice.buf);
+	strbuf_release(&remotes_advice);
+}
+
 static int should_setup_rebase(const char *origin)
 {
 	switch (autorebase) {
@@ -254,11 +292,8 @@ static void setup_tracking(const char *new_ref, const char *orig_ref,
 {
 	struct tracking tracking;
 	struct string_list tracking_srcs = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
+	struct string_list ambiguous_remotes = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
 	int config_flags = quiet ? 0 : BRANCH_CONFIG_VERBOSE;
-	struct find_tracked_branch_cb ftb_cb = {
-		.tracking = &tracking,
-		.ambiguous_remotes = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP,
-	};
 
 	if (!track)
 		BUG("asked to set up tracking, but tracking is disallowed");
@@ -267,7 +302,7 @@ static void setup_tracking(const char *new_ref, const char *orig_ref,
 	tracking.spec.dst = (char *)orig_ref;
 	tracking.srcs = &tracking_srcs;
 	if (track != BRANCH_TRACK_INHERIT)
-		for_each_remote(find_tracked_branch, &ftb_cb);
+		find_tracking_remote_for_ref(&tracking, &ambiguous_remotes);
 	else if (inherit_tracking(&tracking, orig_ref))
 		goto cleanup;
 
@@ -293,34 +328,7 @@ static void setup_tracking(const char *new_ref, const char *orig_ref,
 	if (tracking.matches > 1) {
 		int status = die_message(_("not tracking: ambiguous information for ref '%s'"),
 					    orig_ref);
-		if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_AMBIGUOUS_FETCH_REFSPEC)) {
-			struct strbuf remotes_advice = STRBUF_INIT;
-			struct string_list_item *item;
-
-			for_each_string_list_item(item, &ftb_cb.ambiguous_remotes)
-				/*
-				 * TRANSLATORS: This is a line listing a remote with duplicate
-				 * refspecs in the advice message below. For RTL languages you'll
-				 * probably want to swap the "%s" and leading "  " space around.
-				 */
-				strbuf_addf(&remotes_advice, _("  %s\n"), item->string);
-
-			/*
-			 * TRANSLATORS: The second argument is a \n-delimited list of
-			 * duplicate refspecs, composed above.
-			 */
-			advise(_("There are multiple remotes whose fetch refspecs map to the remote\n"
-				 "tracking ref '%s':\n"
-				 "%s"
-				 "\n"
-				 "This is typically a configuration error.\n"
-				 "\n"
-				 "To support setting up tracking branches, ensure that\n"
-				 "different remotes' fetch refspecs map into different\n"
-				 "tracking namespaces."), orig_ref,
-			       remotes_advice.buf);
-			strbuf_release(&remotes_advice);
-		}
+		advise_ambiguous_fetch_refspec(orig_ref, &ambiguous_remotes);
 		exit(status);
 	}
 
@@ -347,7 +355,7 @@ static void setup_tracking(const char *new_ref, const char *orig_ref,
 
 cleanup:
 	string_list_clear(&tracking_srcs, 0);
-	string_list_clear(&ftb_cb.ambiguous_remotes, 0);
+	string_list_clear(&ambiguous_remotes, 0);
 }
 
 int read_branch_desc(struct strbuf *buf, const char *branch_name)
diff --git a/branch.h b/branch.h
index 3dc6e2a0ff..0aafa1673f 100644
--- a/branch.h
+++ b/branch.h
@@ -1,9 +1,25 @@
 #ifndef BRANCH_H
 #define BRANCH_H
 
+#include "refspec.h"
+#include "string-list.h"
+
 struct repository;
 struct strbuf;
 
+struct tracking {
+	struct refspec_item spec;
+	struct string_list *srcs;
+	const char *remote;
+	int matches;
+};
+
+void find_tracking_remote_for_ref(struct tracking *tracking,
+				  struct string_list *ambiguous_remotes);
+
+void advise_ambiguous_fetch_refspec(const char *dst,
+				    const struct string_list *ambiguous_remotes);
+
 enum branch_track {
 	BRANCH_TRACK_UNSPECIFIED = -1,
 	BRANCH_TRACK_NEVER = 0,
-- 
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