# fix(trail): validate branch name before trail creation

`156687b`→[main](/content/gh/entireio/cli/commits/main/index.html)·  
  
dipree·4w ago·3 files·+12 added/-0 removed

Reject unsafe/invalid branch names before trail create reaches git  
subcommands. In particular, block names starting with '-' so user input  
cannot be interpreted as git options during push/ls-remote/delete.

## Sessions

8e30ad0076f1View transcript

[?\  
Fix Trail Creation Branch Handling and ValidationPi·Opus 4.8·1 step](/content/gh/entireio/cli/session/019ed956-c81a-74d1-9437-9fb289e1410f#timeline-8e30ad0076f1/index.html)

## Changes

3

- cmd/entire/cli

- Mgit_operations.go+3

- Mgit_operations_test.go+6

- Mtrail_cmd.go+3

```
351 unmodified lines

352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360

351 unmodified lines

// ValidateBranchName checks if a branch name is valid using git check-ref-format.
// Returns an error if the name is invalid or contains unsafe characters.
func ValidateBranchName(ctx context.Context, branchName string) error {
	if strings.HasPrefix(branchName, "-") {
		return fmt.Errorf("invalid branch name %q", branchName)
	}
	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "git", "check-ref-format", "--branch", branchName)
	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("invalid branch name %q", branchName)
```

Mcmd/entire/cli/git_operations.go+3

```
36 unmodified lines

37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48

36 unmodified lines

return repo
}

func TestValidateBranchNameRejectsLeadingDash(t *testing.T) {
	err := ValidateBranchName(context.Background(), "--all")
	require.Error(t, err)
	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "invalid branch name")
}

func TestGetCurrentBranch(t *testing.T) {
	// Create temp directory for test repo
	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
```

Mcmd/entire/cli/git_operations_test.go+6

```
611 unmodified lines

612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620

611 unmodified lines

if branch == "" {
		return errors.New("branch name is required")
	}
	if err := ValidateBranchName(ctx, branch); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	if statusStr == "" {
		statusStr = string(trail.StatusOpen)
	}
```

Mcmd/entire/cli/trail_cmd.go+3