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[6/7] doc: fast-forward: explain what it is

Message ID 20210722000854.1899129-7-felipe.contreras@gmail.com (mailing list archive)
State New, archived
Headers show
Series fast-forward: new command with advice and documentation | expand

Commit Message

Felipe Contreras July 22, 2021, 12:08 a.m. UTC 
Signed-off-by: Felipe Contreras <felipe.contreras@gmail.com>
---
 Documentation/git-fast-forward.txt | 35 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 34 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff mbox series

Patch

diff --git a/Documentation/git-fast-forward.txt b/Documentation/git-fast-forward.txt
index d457022629..38c920964f 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-fast-forward.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-fast-forward.txt
@@ -15,11 +15,44 @@  DESCRIPTION
 Incorporates changes into the current branch. By default the upstream branch is
 used, but a different commit can be specified in the arguments.
 
+Assume the following history exists and the current branch is
+`master`:
+
+------------
+    D---C---B---A origin/master
+	^
+	|
+      master
+------------
+
+Then `git fast-forward` will advance the local `master` to `origin/master`:
+
+------------
+    D---C---B---A origin/master
+		^
+		|
+	      master
+------------
+
+This operation is not always possible; if you've made changes and the branches
+diverged:
+
+------------
+    D---C---B---A origin/master
+	 \
+	  X---Y master
+------------
+
+then the fast-forward command will fail.
+
+In those cases you need to either `git merge`, or `git rebase` in order to
+synchronize the two branches.
+
 THIS COMMAND IS EXPERIMENTAL. THE BEHAVIOUR MAY CHANGE.
 
 SEE ALSO
 --------
-linkgit:git-merge[1]
+linkgit:git-merge[1], linkgit:git-rebase[1]
 
 GIT
 ---