add-patch: classify '@' as a synonym for 'HEAD'

Currently, (restore, checkout, reset) commands correctly take '@' as a
synonym for 'HEAD'. However, in patch mode different prompts/messages
are given on command line due to patch mode machinery not considering
'@' to be a synonym for 'HEAD' due to literal string comparison with
the word 'HEAD', and therefore assigning patch_mode_($command)_nothead
and triggering reverse mode (-R in diff-index). The NEEDSWORK comment
suggested comparing commit objects to get around this. However, doing
so would also take a non-checked out branch pointing to the same commit
as HEAD, as HEAD. This would cause confusion to the user.

Therefore, after parsing '@', replace it with 'HEAD' as reasonably
early as possible. This also solves another problem of disparity
between 'git checkout HEAD' and 'git checkout @' (latter detaches at
the HEAD commit and the former does not).

Trade-offs:
- Some of the errors would show the revision argument as 'HEAD' when
  given '@'. This should be fine, as most users who probably use '@'
  would be aware that it is a shortcut for 'HEAD' and most probably
  used to use 'HEAD'. There is also relevant documentation in
  'gitrevisions' manpage about '@' being the shortcut for 'HEAD'. Also,
  the simplicity of the solution far outweighs this cost.

- Consider '@' as a shortcut for 'HEAD' even if 'refs/heads/@' exists
  at a different commit. Naming a branch '@' is an obvious foot-gun and
  many existing commands already take '@' for 'HEAD' even if
  'refs/heads/@' exists at a different commit or does not exist at all
  (e.g. 'git log @', 'git push origin @' etc.). Therefore this is an
  existing assumption and should not be a problem.

Helped-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Helped-by: Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Ghanshyam Thakkar <shyamthakkar001@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

2 files changed, 6 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index a6e30931b5..067c251933 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -1224,7 +1224,9 @@ static void setup_new_branch_info_and_source_tree(
 	struct tree **source_tree = &opts->source_tree;
 	struct object_id branch_rev;
 
-	new_branch_info->name = xstrdup(arg);
+	/* treat '@' as a shortcut for 'HEAD' */
+	new_branch_info->name = !strcmp(arg, "@") ? xstrdup("HEAD") :
+						    xstrdup(arg);
 	setup_branch_path(new_branch_info);
 
 	if (!check_refname_format(new_branch_info->path, 0) &&
diff --git a/builtin/reset.c b/builtin/reset.c
index 8390bfe4c4..f0bf29a478 100644
--- a/builtin/reset.c
+++ b/builtin/reset.c
@@ -281,7 +281,9 @@ static void parse_args(struct pathspec *pathspec,
 			verify_filename(prefix, argv[0], 1);
 		}
 	}
-	*rev_ret = rev;
+
+	/* treat '@' as a shortcut for 'HEAD' */
+	*rev_ret = !strcmp("@", rev) ? "HEAD" : rev;
 
 	parse_pathspec(pathspec, 0,
 		       PATHSPEC_PREFER_FULL |