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diff --git a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..835fb7135b --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt @@ -0,0 +1,285 @@ +git-format-patch(1) +=================== + +NAME +---- +git-format-patch - Prepare patches for e-mail submission + + +SYNOPSIS +-------- +[verse] +'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>] + [--ignore-if-in-upstream] + [--subject-prefix=Subject-Prefix] + [--to=<email>] [--cc=<email>] + [--cover-letter] + [<common diff options>] + [ <since> | <revision range> ] + +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'. + +There are two ways to specify which commits to operate on. + +1. A single commit, <since>, specifies that the commits leading + to the tip of the current branch that are not in the history + that leads to the <since> to be output. + +2. Generic <revision range> expression (see "SPECIFYING + REVISIONS" section in linkgit:git-rev-parse[1]) means the + commits in the specified range. + +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 +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. + +If `-o` is specified, output files are created in <dir>. Otherwise +they are created in the current working directory. + +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 +reference. + +OPTIONS +------- +:git-format-patch: 1 +include::diff-options.txt[] + +-<n>:: + Limits the number of patches to prepare. + +-o <dir>:: +--output-directory <dir>:: + Use <dir> to store the resulting files, instead of the + current working directory. + +-n:: +--numbered:: + Name output in '[PATCH n/m]' format, even with a single patch. + +-N:: +--no-numbered:: + Name output in '[PATCH]' format. + +--start-number <n>:: + Start numbering the patches at <n> instead of 1. + +--numbered-files:: + Output file names will be a simple number sequence + without the default first line of the commit appended. + +-k:: +--keep-subject:: + Do not strip/add '[PATCH]' from the first line of the + commit log message. + +-s:: +--signoff:: + Add `Signed-off-by:` line to the commit message, using + the committer identity of yourself. + +--stdout:: + Print all commits to the standard output in mbox format, + instead of creating a file for each one. + +--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`. + +--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[=<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 + reply to the given Message-Id, which avoids breaking threads to + provide a new patch series. + +--ignore-if-in-upstream:: + Do not include a patch that matches a commit in + <until>..<since>. This will examine all patches reachable + from <since> but not from <until> and compare them with the + patches being generated, and any patch that matches is + ignored. + +--subject-prefix=<Subject-Prefix>:: + 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. + +--to=<email>:: + Add a `To:` header to the email headers. This is in addition + to any configured headers, and may be used multiple times. + +--cc=<email>:: + 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:: + 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`. Leaving this empty will remove the `.patch` + 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:: + 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, +defaults for the subject prefix and file suffix, number patches when +outputting more than one patch, add "To" or "Cc:" headers, configure +attachments, and sign off patches with configuration variables. + +------------ +[format] + headers = "Organization: git-foo\n" + subjectprefix = CHANGE + suffix = .txt + numbered = auto + to = <email> + cc = <email> + attach [ = mime-boundary-string ] + signoff = true +------------ + + +EXAMPLES +-------- + +* Extract commits between revisions R1 and R2, and apply them on top of +the current branch using 'git am' to cherry-pick them: ++ +------------ +$ git format-patch -k --stdout R1..R2 | git am -3 -k +------------ + +* Extract all commits which are in the current branch but not in the +origin branch: ++ +------------ +$ git format-patch origin +------------ ++ +For each commit a separate file is created in the current directory. + +* Extract all commits that lead to 'origin' since the inception of the +project: ++ +------------ +$ git format-patch --root origin +------------ + +* The same as the previous one: ++ +------------ +$ 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. +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 +as e-mailable patches: ++ +------------ +$ git format-patch -3 +------------ + +SEE ALSO +-------- +linkgit:git-am[1], linkgit:git-send-email[1] + + +Author +------ +Written by Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> + +Documentation +-------------- +Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>. + +GIT +--- +Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite |