git for-each-ref with <pattern> returns nothing

Question

git branch --list 'hotfix' returns a list of branches that contain the word 'hotfix' inside the branch name, whereas git for-each-ref --format='%(authorname)' 'hotfix' return nothing, not even /n symbol

Answer 1

git branch is looking (by default) at just the branches - the refs in refs/heads - so it lets you use patterns that match just the "branch name" (e.g. some-hotfix which is actually shorthand for the full ref name refs/heads/some-hotfix).

for-each-ref is looking at all refs, so it doesn't let you use such patterns. You can use something like refs/heads/*hotfix* if you know that you're only interested in branches (or something like **/*hotfix* if not).