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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/git-format-patch.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/git-format-patch.txt | 134 |
1 files changed, 84 insertions, 50 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt index 010d9e4322..9674f9de67 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt @@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ git-format-patch - Prepare patches for e-mail submission SYNOPSIS -------- [verse] -'git format-patch' [-k] [-o <dir> | --stdout] [--thread] - [--attach[=<boundary>] | --inline[=<boundary>]] - [-s | --signoff] [<common diff options>] +'git format-patch' [-k] [(-o|--output-directory) <dir> | --stdout] + [--no-thread | --thread[=<style>]] + [(--attach|--inline)[=<boundary>] | --no-attach] + [-s | --signoff] [-n | --numbered | -N | --no-numbered] [--start-number <n>] [--numbered-files] [--in-reply-to=Message-Id] [--suffix=.<sfx>] @@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ SYNOPSIS [--subject-prefix=Subject-Prefix] [--cc=<email>] [--cover-letter] + [<common diff options>] [ <since> | <revision range> ] DESCRIPTION @@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ DESCRIPTION Prepare each commit with its patch in one file per commit, formatted to resemble UNIX mailbox format. The output of this command is convenient for e-mail submission or -for use with 'git-am'. +for use with 'git am'. There are two ways to specify which commits to operate on. @@ -39,31 +41,30 @@ There are two ways to specify which commits to operate on. REVISIONS" section in linkgit:git-rev-parse[1]) means the commits in the specified range. -A single commit, when interpreted as a <revision range> -expression, means "everything that leads to that commit", but -if you write 'git format-patch <commit>', the previous rule -applies to that command line and you do not get "everything -since the beginning of the time". If you want to format -everything since project inception to one commit, say "git -format-patch \--root <commit>" to make it clear that it is the -latter case. +The first rule takes precedence in the case of a single <commit>. To +apply the second rule, i.e., format everything since the beginning of +history up until <commit>, use the '\--root' option: `git format-patch +\--root <commit>`. If you want to format only <commit> itself, you +can do this with `git format-patch -1 <commit>`. By default, each output file is numbered sequentially from 1, and uses the first line of the commit message (massaged for pathname safety) as -the filename. With the --numbered-files option, the output file names +the filename. With the `--numbered-files` option, the output file names will only be numbers, without the first line of the commit appended. The names of the output files are printed to standard -output, unless the --stdout option is specified. +output, unless the `--stdout` option is specified. -If -o is specified, output files are created in <dir>. Otherwise +If `-o` is specified, output files are created in <dir>. Otherwise they are created in the current working directory. -If -n is specified, instead of "[PATCH] Subject", the first line -is formatted as "[PATCH n/m] Subject". +By default, the subject of a single patch is "[PATCH] First Line" and +the subject when multiple patches are output is "[PATCH n/m] First +Line". To force 1/1 to be added for a single patch, use `-n`. To omit +patch numbers from the subject, use `-N`. -If given --thread, 'git-format-patch' will generate In-Reply-To and -References headers to make the second and subsequent patch mails appear -as replies to the first mail; this also generates a Message-Id header to +If given `--thread`, `git-format-patch` will generate `In-Reply-To` and +`References` headers to make the second and subsequent patch mails appear +as replies to the first mail; this also generates a `Message-Id` header to reference. OPTIONS @@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ include::diff-options.txt[] -n:: --numbered:: - Name output in '[PATCH n/m]' format. + Name output in '[PATCH n/m]' format, even with a single patch. -N:: --no-numbered:: @@ -93,7 +94,6 @@ include::diff-options.txt[] --numbered-files:: Output file names will be a simple number sequence without the default first line of the commit appended. - Mutually exclusive with the --stdout option. -k:: --keep-subject:: @@ -112,20 +112,40 @@ include::diff-options.txt[] --attach[=<boundary>]:: Create multipart/mixed attachment, the first part of which is the commit message and the patch itself in the - second part, with "Content-Disposition: attachment". + second part, with `Content-Disposition: attachment`. + +--no-attach:: + Disable the creation of an attachment, overriding the + configuration setting. --inline[=<boundary>]:: Create multipart/mixed attachment, the first part of which is the commit message and the patch itself in the - second part, with "Content-Disposition: inline". - ---thread:: - Add In-Reply-To and References headers to make the second and - subsequent mails appear as replies to the first. Also generates - the Message-Id header to reference. + second part, with `Content-Disposition: inline`. + +--thread[=<style>]:: +--no-thread:: + Controls addition of `In-Reply-To` and `References` headers to + make the second and subsequent mails appear as replies to the + first. Also controls generation of the `Message-Id` header to + reference. ++ +The optional <style> argument can be either `shallow` or `deep`. +'shallow' threading makes every mail a reply to the head of the +series, where the head is chosen from the cover letter, the +`\--in-reply-to`, and the first patch mail, in this order. 'deep' +threading makes every mail a reply to the previous one. ++ +The default is `--no-thread`, unless the 'format.thread' configuration +is set. If `--thread` is specified without a style, it defaults to the +style specified by 'format.thread' if any, or else `shallow`. ++ +Beware that the default for 'git send-email' is to thread emails +itself. If you want `git format-patch` to take care of threading, you +will want to ensure that threading is disabled for `git send-email`. --in-reply-to=Message-Id:: - Make the first mail (or all the mails with --no-thread) appear as a + Make the first mail (or all the mails with `--no-thread`) appear as a reply to the given Message-Id, which avoids breaking threads to provide a new patch series. @@ -140,38 +160,50 @@ include::diff-options.txt[] Instead of the standard '[PATCH]' prefix in the subject line, instead use '[<Subject-Prefix>]'. This allows for useful naming of a patch series, and can be - combined with the --numbered option. + combined with the `--numbered` option. --cc=<email>:: - Add a "Cc:" header to the email headers. This is in addition + Add a `Cc:` header to the email headers. This is in addition + to any configured headers, and may be used multiple times. + +--add-header=<header>:: + Add an arbitrary header to the email headers. This is in addition to any configured headers, and may be used multiple times. + For example, `--add-header="Organization: git-foo"` --cover-letter:: - Generate a cover letter template. You still have to fill in - a description, but the shortlog and the diffstat will be - generated for you. + In addition to the patches, generate a cover letter file + containing the shortlog and the overall diffstat. You can + fill in a description in the file before sending it out. --suffix=.<sfx>:: Instead of using `.patch` as the suffix for generated filenames, use specified suffix. A common alternative is - `--suffix=.txt`. + `--suffix=.txt`. Leaving this empty will remove the `.patch` + suffix. + -Note that you would need to include the leading dot `.` if you -want a filename like `0001-description-of-my-change.patch`, and -the first letter does not have to be a dot. Leaving it empty would -not add any suffix. +Note that the leading character does not have to be a dot; for example, +you can use `--suffix=-patch` to get `0001-description-of-my-change-patch`. --no-binary:: - Don't output contents of changes in binary files, just take note - that they differ. Note that this disable the patch to be properly - applied. By default the contents of changes in those files are - encoded in the patch. + Do not output contents of changes in binary files, instead + display a notice that those files changed. Patches generated + using this option cannot be applied properly, but they are + still useful for code review. + +--root:: + Treat the revision argument as a <revision range>, even if it + is just a single commit (that would normally be treated as a + <since>). Note that root commits included in the specified + range are always formatted as creation patches, independently + of this flag. CONFIGURATION ------------- -You can specify extra mail header lines to be added to each message -in the repository configuration, new defaults for the subject prefix -and file suffix, and number patches when outputting more than one. +You can specify extra mail header lines to be added to each message, +defaults for the subject prefix and file suffix, number patches when +outputting more than one patch, add "Cc:" headers, configure attachments, +and sign off patches with configuration variables. ------------ [format] @@ -180,6 +212,8 @@ and file suffix, and number patches when outputting more than one. suffix = .txt numbered = auto cc = <email> + attach [ = mime-boundary-string ] + signoff = true ------------ @@ -187,7 +221,7 @@ EXAMPLES -------- * Extract commits between revisions R1 and R2, and apply them on top of -the current branch using 'git-am' to cherry-pick them: +the current branch using 'git am' to cherry-pick them: + ------------ $ git format-patch -k --stdout R1..R2 | git am -3 -k @@ -217,8 +251,8 @@ $ git format-patch -M -B origin + Additionally, it detects and handles renames and complete rewrites intelligently to produce a renaming patch. A renaming patch reduces -the amount of text output, and generally makes it easier to review it. -Note that the "patch" program does not understand renaming patches, so +the amount of text output, and generally makes it easier to review. +Note that non-git "patch" programs won't understand renaming patches, so use it only when you know the recipient uses git to apply your patch. * Extract three topmost commits from the current branch and format them |