[PATCH v2 0/2] format-patch: make boolean and mention in diff-options.adoc
- From
- kristofferhaugsbakk@fastmail.com <kristofferhaugsbakk@fastmail.com>
- Date
- Feb 23, 2026, 23:30 UTC
- Message-ID
- <V2_CV_format.noprefix_boolean.421@msgid.xyz>
- In-Reply-To
- <CV_format.noprefix_boolean.39c@msgid.xyz>
From: Kristoffer Haugsbakk <code@khaugsbakk.name>
See: https://lore.kernel.org/git/a9602602-5fea-40c0-a505-34133ed4d58c@app.fastmail.com/
Topic name (applied): kh/format-patch-noprefix-is-boolean
Topic summary: The config `format.noprefix` should act like a boolean. But now it is active no matter what the value is. Change it to act like a boolean like `diff.noprefix`. Also mention it instead of `diff.noprefix` in git-format-patch(1) doc.
§ Changes in v2
Got feedback from Junio.
Copied from note on Patch 1/2:
• Use `advise()` for the hint; you get the `hint:` prefix and color • Rework the hint, or the advise, to say that any value *used to be* treated as `true`. That better helps people who maybe set `nope` when they meant, “no, I don’t want any prefix” (for example)
Also a commit message tweak on Patch 2/2.
§ Link to v1
https://lore.kernel.org/git/CV_format.noprefix_boolean.39c@msgid.xyz/
§ Breaking change (unchanged since v1)
This is a breaking change. But I have opted to die if the config is not a boolean and just hint about the change. See also Peff’s comment on such a breaking change in that link.
I have also asked here about marking breaking changes:
https://lore.kernel.org/git/3124b359-2929-4f3f-9ac6-793277fe422b@jontes.page/T/#ma8856238748d0794a0da6c64e1c0c8a4824b996f
Kristoffer Haugsbakk (2): format-patch: make format.noprefix a boolean doc: diff-options.adoc: show format.noprefix for format-patch
Documentation/diff-options.adoc | 4 +++- builtin/log.c | 14 +++++++++++++- t/t4014-format-patch.sh | 16 ++++++++++++++++ 3 files changed, 32 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
Interdiff against v1:
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c index e56af7465ae..275122b807e 100644 --- a/builtin/log.c +++ b/builtin/log.c @@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ #include "mailmap.h" #include "progress.h" #include "commit-slab.h" +#include "advice.h" #include "commit-reach.h" #include "range-diff.h" @@ -1101,11 +1102,11 @@ static int git_format_config(const char *var, const char *value, int status = die_message( _("bad boolean config value '%s' for '%s'"), value, var); - fprintf(stderr, - _("hint: '%s' used to accept any value but " - "now only\n" - "hint: accepts boolean values, like '%s'\n"), - var, "diff.noprefix"); + advise(_("'%s' used to accept any value and " + "treat that as 'true'.\n" + "Now it only accepts boolean values, " + "like what '%s' does.\n"), + var, "diff.noprefix"); exit(status); } return 0; diff --git a/t/t4014-format-patch.sh b/t/t4014-format-patch.sh index 645ac402a19..c20091e36fe 100755 --- a/t/t4014-format-patch.sh +++ b/t/t4014-format-patch.sh @@ -2555,8 +2555,8 @@ test_expect_success 'format-patch --default-prefix overrides format.noprefix' ' test_expect_success 'errors on format.noprefix which is not boolean' ' cat >expect <<-EOF && fatal: bad boolean config value ${SQ}not-a-bool${SQ} for ${SQ}format.noprefix${SQ} - hint: ${SQ}format.noprefix${SQ} used to accept any value but now only - hint: accepts boolean values, like ${SQ}diff.noprefix${SQ} + hint: ${SQ}format.noprefix${SQ} used to accept any value and treat that as ${SQ}true${SQ}. + hint: Now it only accepts boolean values, like what ${SQ}diff.noprefix${SQ} does. EOF test_must_fail git -c format.noprefix=not-a-bool \ format-patch -1 --stdout 2>actual && Range-diff against v1: 1: 49fa161a392 ! 1: eee61561eb3 format-patch: make format.noprefix a boolean @@ Commit message format.noprefix* (current behavior) will now have the opposite experience. Which is not a reasonable setup. - Let’s only offer a breaking change fig leaf by hinting about the + Let’s only offer a breaking change fig leaf by advising about the previous behavior before dying. Signed-off-by: Kristoffer Haugsbakk <code@khaugsbakk.name> ## builtin/log.c ## +@@ + #include "mailmap.h" + #include "progress.h" + #include "commit-slab.h" ++#include "advice.h" + + #include "commit-reach.h" + #include "range-diff.h" @@ builtin/log.c: static int git_format_config(const char *var, const char *value, return 0; } @@ builtin/log.c: static int git_format_config(const char *var, const char *value, + int status = die_message( + _("bad boolean config value '%s' for '%s'"), + value, var); -+ fprintf(stderr, -+ _("hint: '%s' used to accept any value but " -+ "now only\n" -+ "hint: accepts boolean values, like '%s'\n"), -+ var, "diff.noprefix"); ++ advise(_("'%s' used to accept any value and " ++ "treat that as 'true'.\n" ++ "Now it only accepts boolean values, " ++ "like what '%s' does.\n"), ++ var, "diff.noprefix"); + exit(status); + } return 0; @@ t/t4014-format-patch.sh: test_expect_success 'format-patch respects format.nopre +test_expect_success 'errors on format.noprefix which is not boolean' ' + cat >expect <<-EOF && + fatal: bad boolean config value ${SQ}not-a-bool${SQ} for ${SQ}format.noprefix${SQ} -+ hint: ${SQ}format.noprefix${SQ} used to accept any value but now only -+ hint: accepts boolean values, like ${SQ}diff.noprefix${SQ} ++ hint: ${SQ}format.noprefix${SQ} used to accept any value and treat that as ${SQ}true${SQ}. ++ hint: Now it only accepts boolean values, like what ${SQ}diff.noprefix${SQ} does. + EOF + test_must_fail git -c format.noprefix=not-a-bool \ + format-patch -1 --stdout 2>actual && 2: 0cef1915a9c ! 2: b9b583bd007 doc: diff-options.adoc: show format.noprefix for format-patch @@ Commit message git-format-patch(1) uses `format.noprefix` and ignores `diff.noprefix`. The configuration variable `format.prefix` was added as an “escape - hatch” because “it’s unlikely that anybody really wants format. + hatch”, and “it’s unlikely that anybody really wants format. noprefix=true in the first place.”[1] Based on that there doesn’t seem to be a need to widely advertise this configuration variable. base-commit: 67ad42147a7acc2af6074753ebd03d904476118f
-- 2.53.0.26.g2afa8602a26