Subject: [PATCH v12 0/2] status: show comparison with push remote tracking branch

From: "Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2026 21:34:07 +0000

cc: Chris Torek [email-masked] cc: Yee Cheng Chin
[email-masked] cc: "brian m. carlson" [email-masked]
cc: Ben Knoble [email-masked] cc: "Kristoffer Haugsbakk"
[email-masked] cc: Phillip Wood [email-masked]

Harald Nordgren (2):
  refactor: format_branch_comparison in preparation
  status: show comparison with push remote tracking branch

 remote.c                 | 164 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------
 t/t6040-tracking-info.sh | 168 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 295 insertions(+), 37 deletions(-)

base-commit: 68cb7f9e92a5d8e9824f5b52ac3d0a9d8f653dbe
Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-git-2138%2FHaraldNordgren%2Fahead_of_main_status-v12
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-git-2138/HaraldNordgren/ahead_of_main_status-v12
Pull-Request: https://github.com/git/git/pull/2138

Range-diff vs v11:

 -:  ---------- > 1:  a2c160c53e refactor: format_branch_comparison in preparation
 1:  53bb1cb6bb ! 2:  a586038d1f status: show comparison with push remote tracking branch
     @@ Commit message
          builds upon, to show "ahead", "behind", or "diverged" status.
      
          When working on a feature branch that tracks a remote feature branch,
     -    but you also want to track progress relative to the push remote's
     +    but you also want to track progress relative to the push destination
          tracking branch (which may differ from the upstream branch), git status
          now shows an additional comparison.
      
     -    When a push remote is configured (via branch.<name>.pushRemote or
     -    remote.pushDefault), git status shows both the comparison with the
     -    upstream tracking branch (as before) and an additional comparison with
     -    the push remote's tracking branch, if it differs from the upstream
     -    tracking branch. The push branch comparison appears on a separate
     -    line after the upstream branch status, using the same format:
     -    - "Ahead of 'origin/feature' by N commits" when purely ahead
     -    - "Behind 'origin/feature' by N commits" when purely behind
     -    - "Diverged from 'origin/feature' by N commits" when diverged
     +    When the upstream tracking branch differs from the push destination
     +    tracking branch, git status shows both the comparison with the upstream
     +    tracking branch (as before) and an additional comparison with the push
     +    destination tracking branch. The push branch comparison appears on a
     +    separate line after the upstream branch status, using the same format.
      
     -    Example output when tracking upstream/main with pushRemote set to origin:
     +    Example output when tracking origin/main but push destination is
     +    origin/feature:
              On branch feature
     -        Your branch is ahead of 'upstream/main' by 2 commits.
     +        Your branch and 'origin/main' have diverged,
     +        and have 3 and 1 different commits each, respectively.
                (use "git pull" if you want to integrate the remote branch with yours)
      
     -        Ahead of 'origin/feature' by 5 commits.
     +        Your branch is ahead of 'origin/feature' by 1 commit.
     +          (use "git push" to publish your local commits)
      
     -    The comparison is only shown when a push remote is configured and the
     -    push remote's tracking branch differs from the upstream tracking branch.
     +    The comparison is only shown when the push destination tracking branch
     +    differs from the upstream tracking branch, even if they are on the same
     +    remote.
      
          Signed-off-by: Harald Nordgren <[email-masked]>
      
     @@ remote.c: int stat_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, int *num_ours, int *num_
      +{
      +	const char *push_remote;
      +	const char *resolved;
     -+	int flag;
      +	struct strbuf ref_buf = STRBUF_INIT;
      +	char *ret = NULL;
      +
     @@ remote.c: int stat_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, int *num_ours, int *num_
      +		get_main_ref_store(the_repository),
      +		ref_buf.buf,
      +		RESOLVE_REF_READING,
     -+		NULL, &flag);
     ++		NULL, NULL);
      +
      +	if (resolved) {
      +		if (full_ref_out)
     @@ remote.c: int stat_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, int *num_ours, int *num_
      +	return ret;
      +}
      +
     -+static void format_push_branch_comparison(struct strbuf *sb,
     -+					     const char *branch_refname,
     -+					     const char *push_full,
     -+					     const char *push_short,
     -+					     enum ahead_behind_flags abf)
     -+{
     -+	int push_ahead = 0, push_behind = 0;
     -+	int stat_result;
     -+
     -+	stat_result = stat_branch_pair(branch_refname, push_full,
     -+				       &push_ahead, &push_behind, abf);
     -+	if (stat_result < 0)
     -+		return;
     -+
     -+	strbuf_addstr(sb, "\n");
     -+
     -+	if (stat_result == 0 || (push_ahead == 0 && push_behind == 0)) {
     -+		strbuf_addf(sb,
     -+			_("Your branch is up to date with '%s'.\n"),
     -+			push_short);
     -+	} else if (push_ahead > 0 && push_behind == 0) {
     -+		strbuf_addf(sb,
     -+			Q_("Ahead of '%s' by %d commit.\n",
     -+			   "Ahead of '%s' by %d commits.\n",
     -+			   push_ahead),
     -+			push_short, push_ahead);
     -+	} else if (push_behind > 0 && push_ahead == 0) {
     -+		strbuf_addf(sb,
     -+			Q_("Behind '%s' by %d commit.\n",
     -+			   "Behind '%s' by %d commits.\n",
     -+			   push_behind),
     -+			push_short, push_behind);
     -+	} else if (push_ahead > 0 && push_behind > 0) {
     -+		strbuf_addf(sb,
     -+			Q_("Diverged from '%s' by %d commit.\n",
     -+			   "Diverged from '%s' by %d commits.\n",
     -+			   push_ahead + push_behind),
     -+			push_short, push_ahead + push_behind);
     -+	}
     -+}
     -+
     - /*
     -  * Return true when there is anything to report, otherwise false.
     -  */
     + static void format_branch_comparison(struct strbuf *sb,
     + 				     int ahead, int behind,
     + 				     const char *branch_name,
      @@ remote.c: int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
     + 	const char *full_base;
     + 	char *base;
     + 	int upstream_is_gone = 0;
     ++	int push_ours = 0, push_theirs = 0;
     ++	int push_stat_result = -1;
     ++	int will_show_push_comparison = 0;
       
     + 	sti = stat_tracking_info(branch, &ours, &theirs, &full_base, 0, abf);
     + 	if (sti < 0) {
     +@@ remote.c: int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
       	base = refs_shorten_unambiguous_ref(get_main_ref_store(the_repository),
       					    full_base, 0);
     + 
     ++	if (!upstream_is_gone && abf != AHEAD_BEHIND_QUICK) {
     ++		char *push_full = NULL;
     ++		char *push_short = get_remote_push_branch(branch, &push_full);
      +
     - 	if (upstream_is_gone) {
     - 		strbuf_addf(sb,
     - 			_("Your branch is based on '%s', but the upstream is gone.\n"),
     -@@ remote.c: int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
     ++		if (push_short && strcmp(base, push_short)) {
     ++			push_stat_result = stat_branch_pair(branch->refname, push_full,
     ++							    &push_ours, &push_theirs, abf);
     ++			if (push_stat_result >= 0)
     ++				will_show_push_comparison = 1;
     ++		}
     ++
     ++		free(push_short);
     ++		free(push_full);
     ++	}
     ++
     + 	format_branch_comparison(sb, ours, theirs, base, upstream_is_gone, abf, sti);
     + 	if (sti > 0 && abf != AHEAD_BEHIND_QUICK) {
     +-		if (!theirs && advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS)) {
     ++		if (!theirs && !will_show_push_comparison &&
     ++		    advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS)) {
       			strbuf_addstr(sb,
     - 				_("  (use \"git pull\" if you want to integrate the remote branch with yours)\n"));
     + 				_("  (use \"git push\" to publish your local commits)\n"));
     + 		} else if (!ours && advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS)) {
     +@@ remote.c: int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
     + 		}
       	}
     -+
     -+	if (!upstream_is_gone && sti >= 0 && abf != AHEAD_BEHIND_QUICK) {
     + 
     ++	if (will_show_push_comparison) {
      +		char *push_full = NULL;
      +		char *push_short = get_remote_push_branch(branch, &push_full);
      +
     -+		if (push_short && strcmp(base, push_short))
     -+			format_push_branch_comparison(sb, branch->refname, push_full,
     -+						     push_short, abf);
     ++		if (push_short && strcmp(base, push_short)) {
     ++			strbuf_addstr(sb, "\n");
     ++			format_branch_comparison(sb, push_ours, push_theirs, push_short, 0, abf,
     ++						push_ours || push_theirs);
     ++			if (push_ours > 0 && push_theirs == 0 &&
     ++			    advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS)) {
     ++				strbuf_addstr(sb,
     ++					_("  (use \"git push\" to publish your local commits)\n"));
     ++			}
     ++		}
      +
      +		free(push_short);
      +		free(push_full);
     @@ t/t6040-tracking-info.sh: test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to @{-1}' '
      +	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
      +	On branch feature2
      +	Your branch is ahead of ${SQ}origin/main${SQ} by 1 commit.
     -+	  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)
      +
     -+	Ahead of ${SQ}origin/feature2${SQ} by 1 commit.
     ++	Your branch is ahead of ${SQ}origin/feature2${SQ} by 1 commit.
     ++	  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)
      +
      +	nothing to commit, working tree clean
      +	EOF
     @@ t/t6040-tracking-info.sh: test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to @{-1}' '
      +	) &&
      +	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
      +	Your branch is ahead of ${SQ}origin/main${SQ} by 1 commit.
     -+	  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)
      +
     -+	Ahead of ${SQ}origin/feature2${SQ} by 1 commit.
     ++	Your branch is ahead of ${SQ}origin/feature2${SQ} by 1 commit.
     ++	  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)
      +	EOF
      +	test_cmp expect actual
      +'
     @@ t/t6040-tracking-info.sh: test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to @{-1}' '
      +	and have 3 and 1 different commits each, respectively.
      +	  (use "git pull" if you want to integrate the remote branch with yours)
      +
     -+	Ahead of ${SQ}origin/feature4${SQ} by 1 commit.
     ++	Your branch is ahead of ${SQ}origin/feature4${SQ} by 1 commit.
     ++	  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)
      +
      +	nothing to commit, working tree clean
      +	EOF
     @@ t/t6040-tracking-info.sh: test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to @{-1}' '
      +	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
      +	On branch feature5
      +	Your branch is ahead of ${SQ}upstream/main${SQ} by 1 commit.
     -+	  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)
      +
     -+	Ahead of ${SQ}origin/feature5${SQ} by 1 commit.
     ++	Your branch is ahead of ${SQ}origin/feature5${SQ} by 1 commit.
     ++	  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)
      +
      +	nothing to commit, working tree clean
      +	EOF
     @@ t/t6040-tracking-info.sh: test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to @{-1}' '
      +	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
      +	On branch feature6
      +	Your branch is ahead of ${SQ}upstream/main${SQ} by 1 commit.
     -+	  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)
      +
     -+	Diverged from ${SQ}origin/feature6${SQ} by 2 commits.
     ++	Your branch and ${SQ}origin/feature6${SQ} have diverged,
     ++	and have 1 and 1 different commits each, respectively.
      +
      +	nothing to commit, working tree clean
      +	EOF

-- 
gitgitgadget