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-rw-r--r--Documentation/git-fast-import.txt198
1 files changed, 158 insertions, 40 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt b/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt
index 6764ff1886..95e480ef79 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ git-fast-import - Backend for fast Git data importers
SYNOPSIS
--------
+[verse]
frontend | 'git fast-import' [options]
DESCRIPTION
@@ -45,10 +46,7 @@ OPTIONS
--max-pack-size=<n>::
Maximum size of each output packfile.
- The default is 4 GiB as that is the maximum allowed
- packfile size (due to file format limitations). Some
- importers may wish to lower this, such as to ensure the
- resulting packfiles fit on CDs.
+ The default is unlimited.
--big-file-threshold=<n>::
Maximum size of a blob that fast-import will attempt to
@@ -81,8 +79,12 @@ OPTIONS
set of marks. If a mark is defined to different values,
the last file wins.
+--import-marks-if-exists=<file>::
+ Like --import-marks but instead of erroring out, silently
+ skips the file if it does not exist.
+
--relative-marks::
- After specifying --relative-marks= the paths specified
+ After specifying --relative-marks the paths specified
with --import-marks= and --export-marks= are relative
to an internal directory in the current repository.
In git-fast-import this means that the paths are relative
@@ -92,9 +94,14 @@ OPTIONS
--no-relative-marks::
Negates a previous --relative-marks. Allows for combining
relative and non-relative marks by interweaving
- --(no-)-relative-marks= with the --(import|export)-marks=
+ --(no-)-relative-marks with the --(import|export)-marks=
options.
+--cat-blob-fd=<fd>::
+ Specify the file descriptor that will be written to
+ when the `cat-blob` command is encountered in the stream.
+ The default behaviour is to write to `stdout`.
+
--export-pack-edges=<file>::
After creating a packfile, print a line of data to
<file> listing the filename of the packfile and the last
@@ -190,7 +197,8 @@ especially when a higher level language such as Perl, Python or
Ruby is being used.
fast-import is very strict about its input. Where we say SP below we mean
-*exactly* one space. Likewise LF means one (and only one) linefeed.
+*exactly* one space. Likewise LF means one (and only one) linefeed
+and HT one (and only one) horizontal tab.
Supplying additional whitespace characters will cause unexpected
results, such as branch names or file names with leading or trailing
spaces in their name, or early termination of fast-import when it encounters
@@ -323,6 +331,16 @@ and control the current import process. More detailed discussion
standard output. This command is optional and is not needed
to perform an import.
+`cat-blob`::
+ Causes fast-import to print a blob in 'cat-file --batch'
+ format to the file descriptor set with `--cat-blob-fd` or
+ `stdout` if unspecified.
+
+`ls`::
+ Causes fast-import to print a line describing a directory
+ entry in 'ls-tree' format to the file descriptor set with
+ `--cat-blob-fd` or `stdout` if unspecified.
+
`feature`::
Require that fast-import supports the specified feature, or
abort if it does not.
@@ -442,7 +460,7 @@ Marks must be declared (via `mark`) before they can be used.
* A complete 40 byte or abbreviated commit SHA-1 in hex.
* Any valid Git SHA-1 expression that resolves to a commit. See
- ``SPECIFYING REVISIONS'' in linkgit:git-rev-parse[1] for details.
+ ``SPECIFYING REVISIONS'' in linkgit:gitrevisions[7] for details.
The special case of restarting an incremental import from the
current branch value should be written as:
@@ -485,9 +503,11 @@ External data format::
'M' SP <mode> SP <dataref> SP <path> LF
....
+
-Here `<dataref>` can be either a mark reference (`:<idnum>`)
+Here usually `<dataref>` must be either a mark reference (`:<idnum>`)
set by a prior `blob` command, or a full 40-byte SHA-1 of an
-existing Git blob object.
+existing Git blob object. If `<mode>` is `040000`` then
+`<dataref>` must be the full 40-byte SHA-1 of an existing
+Git tree object or a mark reference set with `--import-marks`.
Inline data format::
The data content for the file has not been supplied yet.
@@ -512,6 +532,8 @@ in octal. Git only supports the following modes:
* `160000`: A gitlink, SHA-1 of the object refers to a commit in
another repository. Git links can only be specified by SHA or through
a commit mark. They are used to implement submodules.
+* `040000`: A subdirectory. Subdirectories can only be specified by
+ SHA or through a tree mark set with `--import-marks`.
In both formats `<path>` is the complete path of the file to be added
(if not already existing) or modified (if already existing).
@@ -531,6 +553,8 @@ The value of `<path>` must be in canonical form. That is it must not:
* contain the special component `.` or `..` (e.g. `foo/./bar` and
`foo/../bar` are invalid).
+The root of the tree can be represented by an empty string as `<path>`.
+
It is recommended that `<path>` always be encoded using UTF-8.
`filedelete`
@@ -625,9 +649,14 @@ paths for a commit are encouraged to do so.
`notemodify`
^^^^^^^^^^^^
-Included in a `commit` command to add a new note (annotating a given
-commit) or change the content of an existing note. This command has
-two different means of specifying the content of the note.
+Included in a `commit` `<notes_ref>` command to add a new note
+annotating a `<committish>` or change this annotation contents.
+Internally it is similar to filemodify 100644 on `<committish>`
+path (maybe split into subdirectories). It's not advised to
+use any other commands to write to the `<notes_ref>` tree except
+`filedeleteall` to delete all existing notes in this tree.
+This command has two different means of specifying the content
+of the note.
External data format::
The data content for the note was already supplied by a prior
@@ -875,34 +904,123 @@ Placing a `progress` command immediately after a `checkpoint` will
inform the reader when the `checkpoint` has been completed and it
can safely access the refs that fast-import updated.
+`cat-blob`
+~~~~~~~~~~
+Causes fast-import to print a blob to a file descriptor previously
+arranged with the `--cat-blob-fd` argument. The command otherwise
+has no impact on the current import; its main purpose is to
+retrieve blobs that may be in fast-import's memory but not
+accessible from the target repository.
+
+....
+ 'cat-blob' SP <dataref> LF
+....
+
+The `<dataref>` can be either a mark reference (`:<idnum>`)
+set previously or a full 40-byte SHA-1 of a Git blob, preexisting or
+ready to be written.
+
+Output uses the same format as `git cat-file --batch`:
+
+====
+ <sha1> SP 'blob' SP <size> LF
+ <contents> LF
+====
+
+This command can be used anywhere in the stream that comments are
+accepted. In particular, the `cat-blob` command can be used in the
+middle of a commit but not in the middle of a `data` command.
+
+`ls`
+~~~~
+Prints information about the object at a path to a file descriptor
+previously arranged with the `--cat-blob-fd` argument. This allows
+printing a blob from the active commit (with `cat-blob`) or copying a
+blob or tree from a previous commit for use in the current one (with
+`filemodify`).
+
+The `ls` command can be used anywhere in the stream that comments are
+accepted, including the middle of a commit.
+
+Reading from the active commit::
+ This form can only be used in the middle of a `commit`.
+ The path names a directory entry within fast-import's
+ active commit. The path must be quoted in this case.
++
+....
+ 'ls' SP <path> LF
+....
+
+Reading from a named tree::
+ The `<dataref>` can be a mark reference (`:<idnum>`) or the
+ full 40-byte SHA-1 of a Git tag, commit, or tree object,
+ preexisting or waiting to be written.
+ The path is relative to the top level of the tree
+ named by `<dataref>`.
++
+....
+ 'ls' SP <dataref> SP <path> LF
+....
+
+See `filemodify` above for a detailed description of `<path>`.
+
+Output uses the same format as `git ls-tree <tree> {litdd} <path>`:
+
+====
+ <mode> SP ('blob' | 'tree' | 'commit') SP <dataref> HT <path> LF
+====
+
+The <dataref> represents the blob, tree, or commit object at <path>
+and can be used in later 'cat-blob', 'filemodify', or 'ls' commands.
+
+If there is no file or subtree at that path, 'git fast-import' will
+instead report
+
+====
+ missing SP <path> LF
+====
+
`feature`
~~~~~~~~~
Require that fast-import supports the specified feature, or abort if
it does not.
....
- 'feature' SP <feature> LF
+ 'feature' SP <feature> ('=' <argument>)? LF
....
-The <feature> part of the command may be any string matching
-^[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z-]*$ and should be understood by fast-import.
-
-Feature work identical as their option counterparts with the
-exception of the import-marks feature, see below.
+The <feature> part of the command may be any one of the following:
+
+date-format::
+export-marks::
+relative-marks::
+no-relative-marks::
+force::
+ Act as though the corresponding command-line option with
+ a leading '--' was passed on the command line
+ (see OPTIONS, above).
+
+import-marks::
+ Like --import-marks except in two respects: first, only one
+ "feature import-marks" command is allowed per stream;
+ second, an --import-marks= command-line option overrides
+ any "feature import-marks" command in the stream.
+
+cat-blob::
+ls::
+ Require that the backend support the 'cat-blob' or 'ls' command.
+ Versions of fast-import not supporting the specified command
+ will exit with a message indicating so.
+ This lets the import error out early with a clear message,
+ rather than wasting time on the early part of an import
+ before the unsupported command is detected.
+
+notes::
+ Require that the backend support the 'notemodify' (N)
+ subcommand to the 'commit' command.
+ Versions of fast-import not supporting notes will exit
+ with a message indicating so.
-The following features are currently supported:
-
-* date-format
-* import-marks
-* export-marks
-* relative-marks
-* no-relative-marks
-* force
-
-The import-marks behaves differently from when it is specified as
-commandline option in that only one "feature import-marks" is allowed
-per stream. Also, any --import-marks= specified on the commandline
-will override those from the stream (if any).
`option`
~~~~~~~~
@@ -929,6 +1047,7 @@ not be passed as option:
* date-format
* import-marks
* export-marks
+* cat-blob-fd
* force
Crash Reports
@@ -1229,14 +1348,13 @@ and lazy loading of subtrees, allows fast-import to efficiently import
projects with 2,000+ branches and 45,114+ files in a very limited
memory footprint (less than 2.7 MiB per active branch).
-
-Author
-------
-Written by Shawn O. Pearce <spearce@spearce.org>.
-
-Documentation
---------------
-Documentation by Shawn O. Pearce <spearce@spearce.org>.
+Signals
+-------
+Sending *SIGUSR1* to the 'git fast-import' process ends the current
+packfile early, simulating a `checkpoint` command. The impatient
+operator can use this facility to peek at the objects and refs from an
+import in progress, at the cost of some added running time and worse
+compression.
GIT
---