Re: [PATCH] Doc format-patch: clarify --notes use case

From: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
Date: Oct 26, 2012, 13:26 UTC
Message-ID: <20121026132657.GH1455@sigill.intra.peff.net>
In-Reply-To: <7427D8D31835443F96156C24D3EB6A5A@PhilipOakley>

On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 11:48:04PM +0100, Philip Oakley wrote:

Show 12 quoted lines

> >+the commit that does not belong to the commit log message proper,
> >+and include it with the patch submission. While one can simply write
> >+these explanations after `format-patch` has run but before sending,
> >+keeping them as git notes allows them to be maintained between
> >versions
> >+of the patch series (but see the discussion of the `notes.rewrite.*`
> >+configuration in linkgit:git-notes[1] to use this workflow).
> 
> Should the notes.rewriteRef also be mentioned (not part of .*), which
> is at the end of the notes configuration and that it must be set may
> be missed by readers? Perhaps "the 'notes.rewrite' configurations",
> dropping the .* and making it plural?

Yeah, I think just saying "notes.rewrite" is better. The notes.rewrite.* entry does point to rewriteRef, but there is no point in giving the user a trail of "see also" breadcrumbs when we can just point them to the area as a whole.

I updated it to this:

diff --git a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
index 066dc8b..259dce4 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
@@ -196,13 +196,12 @@ The expected use case of this is to write supporting explanation for
 	after the three-dash line.
 +
 The expected use case of this is to write supporting explanation for
-the commit that does not belong to the commit log message proper
-when (or after) you create the commit, and include it in your patch
-submission.  But if you can plan ahead and write it down, there may
-not be a good reason not to write it in your commit message, and if
-you can't, you can always edit the output of format-patch before
-sending it out, so the practical value of this option is somewhat
-dubious, unless your workflow is broken.
+the commit that does not belong to the commit log message proper,
+and include it with the patch submission. While one can simply write
+these explanations after `format-patch` has run but before sending,
+keeping them as git notes allows them to be maintained between versions
+of the patch series (but see the discussion of the `notes.rewrite`
+configuration options in linkgit:git-notes[1] to use this workflow).
 
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