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+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]
+ [--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.
+
+--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 "Cc:" headers, configure attachments,
+and sign off patches with configuration variables.
+
+------------
+[format]
+ headers = "Organization: git-foo\n"
+ subjectprefix = CHANGE
+ suffix = .txt
+ numbered = auto
+ 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