git-rename-tag

Rename an existing Git tag locally and remotely

$ git rename-tag [old_tag_name] [new_tag_name]

git-rename-tag [options] OLD_TAG_NAME NEW_TAG_NAME

OLD_TAG_NAME
    The name of the existing tag that you wish to rename.

NEW_TAG_NAME
    The desired new name for the tag.

-f, --force
    If the NEW_TAG_NAME already exists locally, force Git to delete it and create the new tag. This option typically applies to local tag creation.

-l, --local-only
    Perform the tag rename only in the local repository. Do not interact with the remote repository (i.e., do not delete the old tag from remote or push the new tag).

The git-rename-tag command is a conceptual helper script or alias commonly used to rename an existing Git tag. Git itself does not provide a direct 'rename tag' command. Instead, renaming a tag involves a sequence of operations: deleting the old tag locally, creating a new tag pointing to the same commit as the old one, deleting the old tag from the remote repository, and finally pushing the new tag to the remote.

This utility streamlines the process, ensuring both local and remote repositories reflect the name change, making it easier to manage release versions or milestones without performing multiple manual Git commands.

This command is not a built-in Git command. It is a commonly implemented shell script or Git alias created by users to simplify the process of renaming tags. Its exact behavior and available options might vary depending on its specific implementation.

Renaming tags that have already been published can be disruptive to other collaborators as their local repositories might still reference the old tag name. Communication with team members is highly recommended before renaming shared tags to avoid confusion or inconsistencies.

A typical `git-rename-tag` script performs the following sequence of operations:
1. Verification: Checks if OLD_TAG_NAME exists locally and NEW_TAG_NAME does not (unless forced by -f).
2. Create New Local Tag: Executes `git tag NEW_TAG_NAME OLD_TAG_NAME` to create the new tag pointing to the same commit.
3. Delete Old Local Tag: Runs `git tag -d OLD_TAG_NAME` to remove the old tag locally.
4. Push New Tag to Remote: Performs `git push origin NEW_TAG_NAME` to publish the new tag.
5. Delete Old Tag from Remote: Executes `git push origin :refs/tags/OLD_TAG_NAME` to remove the old tag from the remote repository.

The need for a `git-rename-tag` utility arose from Git's design, where tags are essentially immutable pointers to commits and are not designed to be directly renamed. Users frequently desire a straightforward way to correct typographical errors or standardize naming conventions for tags. As a result, various community-contributed scripts and aliases emerged to automate the underlying `git tag -d`, `git push :refs/tags/old_tag`, `git tag new_tag`, and `git push new_tag` operations, standardizing this common workflow for managing Git tags.

git-tag(1), git-push(1), git-fetch(1)