The git branch under the message box

DataMind Oda works in the chat's folder, and when that folder is inside a Git repository, the strip under The message box shows which branch the folder is on. It appears on its own in a repository, needs no setup, and has no controls.

What the strip shows

• The strip starts with the checked-out branch of the repository that contains the chat's folder.
• When the checkout is detached, it shows the first seven characters of the commit instead of a branch name.
• The strip is static text with no action: there is nothing to click.
• Point at the strip to read it in full. The tooltip reads Git branch: <name>, or Detached HEAD at <commit> for a detached checkout, and it carries the complete name or commit. In the strip itself, a label wider than 240 pixels ends in an ellipsis.

When the strip appears

• It shows only while the chat's folder is inside a Git repository and Oda can tell which branch or commit it is on. Outside a repository, or while Oda cannot tell, nothing shows.
• It keeps up on its own: a checkout, a new repository started in the folder, or the repository's removal all reach the strip without a reload.
• When a reading fails, the strip disappears quietly; nothing in a chat depends on it.
• When the interface uses compact density, the strip is hidden.
• The chat's folder is the chat's workspace; Manage workspaces and chats covers it.

Questions, answered

Why is there no branch under my message box?

One of three things: the chat's folder is not inside a Git repository, Oda cannot tell which branch or commit the folder is on, or the interface uses compact density, which hides the strip. Check that the folder sits inside the repository you expect; Manage workspaces and chats covers the folder itself.

What does the short code in the label mean?

The checkout is detached: the folder is on a commit rather than a branch, so there is no branch name to show. The label carries the first seven characters of that commit; point at the strip for the tooltip Detached HEAD at <commit>, which holds the full commit.

Does the strip keep up when I switch branches?

Yes. Check out another branch and the strip follows without a reload. It keeps up the same way with a new repository started in the folder, and with the repository's removal.

Can I change the branch from the strip?

No. The strip is a reading only and has no actions. Switch branches in your own Git tool, and the strip follows on its own.

Why did the strip disappear after showing a branch?

Oda can no longer keep the reading, for example because the repository was removed or a reading failed. The strip goes away rather than showing a value that may be out of date, and it comes back once a reading is available again.

Which folder's branch does it show?

The repository that contains the chat's folder. The reading belongs to the chat, so it follows the folder that chat works in.

How do I read a branch name that is cut short?

Point at the strip to bring up its tooltip: Git branch: <name> with the full branch name, or Detached HEAD at <commit> with the full commit in a detached checkout. In the strip itself, a long value ends in an ellipsis.