Subject: [PATCH v4] remote: qualify "git pull" advice for non-upstream compareBranches

From: "Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 May 2026 14:06:07 +0000

From: Harald Nordgren <[email-masked]>

Enable ENABLE_ADVICE_PULL for push-branch comparisons too, not just
the upstream entry, so the "use git pull" hint prints when the local
branch is behind its push branch.

Spell out "git pull <remote> <branch>" so running the suggested
command actually pulls the ref the user was told about; plain
"git pull" would fetch the upstream instead.

Signed-off-by: Harald Nordgren <[email-masked]>
---
    remote: qualify "git pull" advice for non-upstream branches
    
     * Don't suggest git pull when we have no good command to suggest.
     * New test for this. Asserts the behind line shows with no follow-up
       advice.

Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-git-2301%2FHaraldNordgren%2Fstatus-pull-advice-qualified-v4
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-git-2301/HaraldNordgren/status-pull-advice-qualified-v4
Pull-Request: https://github.com/git/git/pull/2301

Range-diff vs v3:

 1:  3703be9aac ! 1:  ef54dacb07 remote: qualify "git pull" advice for non-upstream compareBranches
     @@ remote.c: int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
       		full_ref = resolve_compare_branch(branch,
       						  branches.items[i].string);
      @@ remote.c: int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
     - 		if (reported)
     - 			strbuf_addstr(sb, "\n");
       
     --		if (is_upstream)
     -+		if (is_upstream || is_push)
     + 		if (is_upstream)
       			flags |= ENABLE_ADVICE_PULL;
      -		if (is_push)
      -			flags |= ENABLE_ADVICE_PUSH;
     @@ remote.c: int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
      +				if (push_remote_name &&
      +				    skip_prefix(full_ref, "refs/remotes/", &push_branch_name) &&
      +				    skip_prefix(push_branch_name, push_remote_name, &push_branch_name) &&
     -+				    *push_branch_name == '/')
     ++				    *push_branch_name == '/') {
      +					push_branch_name++;
     -+				else
     ++					flags |= ENABLE_ADVICE_PULL;
     ++				} else {
      +					push_remote_name = NULL;
     ++				}
     ++			} else {
     ++				flags |= ENABLE_ADVICE_PULL;
      +			}
      +		}
       		format_branch_comparison(sb, !cmp, ours, theirs, short_ref,
     @@ t/t6040-tracking-info.sh: test_expect_success 'status.compareBranches with remap
      +	EOF
      +	test_cmp expect actual
      +'
     ++
     ++test_expect_success 'status.compareBranches suppresses advice when push tracking ref is unconventional' '
     ++	test_config -C test push.default current &&
     ++	test_config -C test remote.imported.url ../. &&
     ++	test_config -C test remote.imported.fetch "+refs/heads/*:refs/imported/imported/*" &&
     ++	test_config -C test branch.feature17.pushRemote imported &&
     ++	test_config -C test status.compareBranches "@{push}" &&
     ++	git -C test fetch imported &&
     ++	git -C test checkout --no-track -b feature17 refs/imported/imported/main &&
     ++	(cd test && advance work17) &&
     ++	git -C test push imported HEAD:feature17 &&
     ++	git -C test fetch imported &&
     ++	git -C test reset --hard HEAD^ &&
     ++	git -C test status >actual &&
     ++	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
     ++	On branch feature17
     ++	Your branch is behind ${SQ}imported/imported/feature17${SQ} by 1 commit, and can be fast-forwarded.
     ++
     ++	nothing to commit, working tree clean
     ++	EOF
     ++	test_cmp expect actual
     ++'
      +
       test_done

 remote.c                 |  48 +++++++++++++++----
 t/t6040-tracking-info.sh | 100 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 140 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index 24a8118d25..193e1dd1f1 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -2268,6 +2268,8 @@ static void format_branch_comparison(struct strbuf *sb,
 				     bool up_to_date,
 				     int ours, int theirs,
 				     const char *branch_name,
+				     const char *push_remote_name,
+				     const char *push_branch_name,
 				     enum ahead_behind_flags abf,
 				     unsigned flags)
 {
@@ -2303,9 +2305,15 @@ static void format_branch_comparison(struct strbuf *sb,
 			       "and can be fast-forwarded.\n",
 			   theirs),
 			branch_name, theirs);
-		if (use_pull_advice && advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
-			strbuf_addstr(sb,
-				_("  (use \"git pull\" to update your local branch)\n"));
+		if (use_pull_advice && advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS)) {
+			if (push_remote_name && push_branch_name)
+				strbuf_addf(sb,
+					_("  (use \"git pull %s %s\" to update your local branch)\n"),
+					push_remote_name, push_branch_name);
+			else
+				strbuf_addstr(sb,
+					_("  (use \"git pull\" to update your local branch)\n"));
+		}
 	} else {
 		strbuf_addf(sb,
 			Q_("Your branch and '%s' have diverged,\n"
@@ -2316,9 +2324,15 @@ static void format_branch_comparison(struct strbuf *sb,
 			       "respectively.\n",
 			   ours + theirs),
 			branch_name, ours, theirs);
-		if (use_divergence_advice && advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS))
-			strbuf_addstr(sb,
-				_("  (use \"git pull\" if you want to integrate the remote branch with yours)\n"));
+		if (use_divergence_advice && advice_enabled(ADVICE_STATUS_HINTS)) {
+			if (push_remote_name && push_branch_name)
+				strbuf_addf(sb,
+					_("  (use \"git pull %s %s\" if you want to integrate the remote branch with yours)\n"),
+					push_remote_name, push_branch_name);
+			else
+				strbuf_addstr(sb,
+					_("  (use \"git pull\" if you want to integrate the remote branch with yours)\n"));
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2356,6 +2370,8 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
 		int ours, theirs, cmp;
 		int is_upstream, is_push;
 		unsigned flags = 0;
+		const char *push_remote_name = NULL;
+		const char *push_branch_name = NULL;
 
 		full_ref = resolve_compare_branch(branch,
 						  branches.items[i].string);
@@ -2399,11 +2415,27 @@ int format_tracking_info(struct branch *branch, struct strbuf *sb,
 
 		if (is_upstream)
 			flags |= ENABLE_ADVICE_PULL;
-		if (is_push)
-			flags |= ENABLE_ADVICE_PUSH;
 		if (show_divergence_advice && is_upstream)
 			flags |= ENABLE_ADVICE_DIVERGENCE;
+		if (is_push) {
+			flags |= ENABLE_ADVICE_PUSH;
+			if (!upstream_ref || strcmp(upstream_ref, full_ref)) {
+				push_remote_name = pushremote_for_branch(branch, NULL);
+				if (push_remote_name &&
+				    skip_prefix(full_ref, "refs/remotes/", &push_branch_name) &&
+				    skip_prefix(push_branch_name, push_remote_name, &push_branch_name) &&
+				    *push_branch_name == '/') {
+					push_branch_name++;
+					flags |= ENABLE_ADVICE_PULL;
+				} else {
+					push_remote_name = NULL;
+				}
+			} else {
+				flags |= ENABLE_ADVICE_PULL;
+			}
+		}
 		format_branch_comparison(sb, !cmp, ours, theirs, short_ref,
+					 push_remote_name, push_branch_name,
 					 abf, flags);
 		reported = 1;
 
diff --git a/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh b/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
index 0242b5bf7a..91cbb8775d 100755
--- a/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
+++ b/t/t6040-tracking-info.sh
@@ -646,4 +646,104 @@ test_expect_success 'status.compareBranches with remapped push and upstream remo
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'status.compareBranches behind both upstream and push' '
+	test_config -C test push.default current &&
+	test_config -C test remote.pushDefault origin &&
+	test_config -C test status.compareBranches "@{upstream} @{push}" &&
+	git -C test checkout -b feature13 upstream/main &&
+	(cd test && advance work13) &&
+	git -C test push origin &&
+	git -C test branch --set-upstream-to upstream/ahead &&
+	git -C test reset --hard HEAD^ &&
+	git -C test status >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	On branch feature13
+	Your branch is behind ${SQ}upstream/ahead${SQ} by 1 commit, and can be fast-forwarded.
+	  (use "git pull" to update your local branch)
+
+	Your branch is behind ${SQ}origin/feature13${SQ} by 1 commit, and can be fast-forwarded.
+	  (use "git pull origin feature13" to update your local branch)
+
+	nothing to commit, working tree clean
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status.compareBranches with remapped push and behind push branch' '
+	test_config -C test remote.pushDefault origin &&
+	test_config -C test remote.origin.push refs/heads/feature14:refs/heads/remapped14 &&
+	test_config -C test status.compareBranches "@{push}" &&
+	git -C test checkout -b feature14 upstream/main &&
+	(cd test && advance work14) &&
+	git -C test push &&
+	git -C test reset --hard HEAD^ &&
+	git -C test status >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	On branch feature14
+	Your branch is behind ${SQ}origin/remapped14${SQ} by 1 commit, and can be fast-forwarded.
+	  (use "git pull origin remapped14" to update your local branch)
+
+	nothing to commit, working tree clean
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status.compareBranches with behind push branch and no upstream' '
+	test_config -C test push.default current &&
+	test_config -C test remote.pushDefault origin &&
+	test_config -C test status.compareBranches "@{push}" &&
+	git -C test checkout --no-track -b feature15 upstream/main &&
+	(cd test && advance work15) &&
+	git -C test push origin &&
+	git -C test reset --hard HEAD^ &&
+	git -C test status >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	On branch feature15
+	Your branch is behind ${SQ}origin/feature15${SQ} by 1 commit, and can be fast-forwarded.
+	  (use "git pull origin feature15" to update your local branch)
+
+	nothing to commit, working tree clean
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status.compareBranches behind upstream-equals-push suggests plain pull' '
+	test_config -C test status.compareBranches "@{upstream} @{push}" &&
+	git -C test checkout -b feature16 origin/main &&
+	(cd test && advance work16) &&
+	git -C test push origin HEAD:main &&
+	git -C test reset --hard HEAD^ &&
+	git -C test status >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	On branch feature16
+	Your branch is behind ${SQ}origin/main${SQ} by 1 commit, and can be fast-forwarded.
+	  (use "git pull" to update your local branch)
+
+	nothing to commit, working tree clean
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status.compareBranches suppresses advice when push tracking ref is unconventional' '
+	test_config -C test push.default current &&
+	test_config -C test remote.imported.url ../. &&
+	test_config -C test remote.imported.fetch "+refs/heads/*:refs/imported/imported/*" &&
+	test_config -C test branch.feature17.pushRemote imported &&
+	test_config -C test status.compareBranches "@{push}" &&
+	git -C test fetch imported &&
+	git -C test checkout --no-track -b feature17 refs/imported/imported/main &&
+	(cd test && advance work17) &&
+	git -C test push imported HEAD:feature17 &&
+	git -C test fetch imported &&
+	git -C test reset --hard HEAD^ &&
+	git -C test status >actual &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	On branch feature17
+	Your branch is behind ${SQ}imported/imported/feature17${SQ} by 1 commit, and can be fast-forwarded.
+
+	nothing to commit, working tree clean
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_done

base-commit: aec3f587505a472db67e9462d0702e7d463a449d
-- 
gitgitgadget