head and HEAD are specifically the third meaning of ‘branch’, i.e. the newest commit on a branch, but can also refer to a commit not on a branch, when in that detached head state.
And while I’m not enamored with these names either, I can’t think of a word that I like better for this meaning.
@Knusper@mac The ‘head’ is sometimes called ‘tip of the branch’ if you want to invoke the meaning of branch as a pointer to the graph of revisions, as a tip where new commits are created.
![[Julia Evans] HEAD and heads](https://programming.dev/pictrs/image/8d033020-561f-4208-810c-fa26be18c06a.png){kind=link}
Well, to reference Julia Evans another time:
headandHEADare specifically the third meaning of ‘branch’, i.e. the newest commit on a branch, but can also refer to a commit not on a branch, when in that detached head state.And while I’m not enamored with these names either, I can’t think of a word that I like better for this meaning.
@Knusper @mac The ‘head’ is sometimes called ‘tip of the branch’ if you want to invoke the meaning of branch as a pointer to the graph of revisions, as a tip where new commits are created.