branch: add flags and config to inherit tracking

It can be helpful when creating a new branch to use the existing
tracking configuration from the branch point. However, there is
currently not a method to automatically do so.

Teach git-{branch,checkout,switch} an "inherit" argument to the
"--track" option. When this is set, creating a new branch will cause the
tracking configuration to default to the configuration of the branch
point, if set.

For example, if branch "main" tracks "origin/main", and we run
`git checkout --track=inherit -b feature main`, then branch "feature"
will track "origin/main". Thus, `git status` will show us how far
ahead/behind we are from origin, and `git pull` will pull from origin.

This is particularly useful when creating branches across many
submodules, such as with `git submodule foreach ...` (or if running with
a patch such as [1], which we use at $job), as it avoids having to
manually set tracking info for each submodule.

Since we've added an argument to "--track", also add "--track=direct" as
another way to explicitly get the original "--track" behavior ("--track"
without an argument still works as well).

Finally, teach branch.autoSetupMerge a new "inherit" option. When this
is set, "--track=inherit" becomes the default behavior.

[1]: https://lore.kernel.org/git/20180927221603.148025-1-sbeller@google.com/

Signed-off-by: Josh Steadmon <steadmon@google.com>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

1 files changed, 3 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 2dcbe901b6..532732fc33 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -1559,6 +1559,9 @@ static int git_default_branch_config(const char *var, const char *value)
 		if (value && !strcasecmp(value, "always")) {
 			git_branch_track = BRANCH_TRACK_ALWAYS;
 			return 0;
+		} else if (value && !strcmp(value, "inherit")) {
+			git_branch_track = BRANCH_TRACK_INHERIT;
+			return 0;
 		}
 		git_branch_track = git_config_bool(var, value);
 		return 0;