Re: git-format-patch for binary files / merges [Re: Expose subprojects as special files to "git diff" machinery]

From: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
Date: Apr 18, 2007, 11:52 UTC
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0704181348410.12094@racer.site>
In-Reply-To: <4625DAEE.3090702@vilain.net>

Hi,

On Wed, 18 Apr 2007, Sam Vilain wrote:

> Speaking of 'custom' patch file formats, anyone put any thought to a 
> format for the commits which can't be represented with patch, like 
> binary files and merges?

Git has support for binary patches. They are base85 encoded, but you have to enable them explicitely (like renames) with --binary.

As for merges, there is the combined diff format. It has more than one cell at the beginning to indicate more than one "new" file (we do not use this format for merges, but rather for conflicts, but you could easily invert that meaning).

Ciao, Dscho