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[GSoC PATCH v2] add -p: show user's hunk decision when selecting hunks

From
Abraham Samuel Adekunle <abrahamadekunle50@gmail.com>
Date
Jan 1, 2026, 21:04 UTC
Message-ID
<aVbgkySezz8YV6sN@Adekunles-MacBook-Air.local>
In-Reply-To
<aSxQhqwzT34hIjV8@Adekunles-MacBook-Air.local>

When a user is interactively deciding which hunks to use or skip for staging, unstaging, stashing etc, there is no way to know the decision previously chosen for a hunk when navigating through the previous and next hunks using K/J respectively.

Improve the UI to explicitly show if a user has previously decided to use a hunk (by pressing 'y') or skip the hunk (by pressing 'n'). This will improve clarity when and aid the navigation process for the user.

Reported-by: Reported-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Signed-off-by: Abraham Samuel Adekunle <abrahamadekunle50@gmail.com>
---
Changes in v2:
--------------
- Modified subject to indicate GSoC participation and user's hunk decision.
- Modified the code to detect the user's decision for each front-end set
  that uses the interactive patch machinery
- Changes the decision phrase to 'previous decision: _decision_' from
  'Selected/Deselected'
- Placed the decision phrase before the [choices] instead of after the [choices].
 add-patch.c | 84 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------------------
 1 file changed, 47 insertions(+), 37 deletions(-)
diff --git a/add-patch.c b/add-patch.c
index 173a53241e..bc7a340d21 100644
--- a/add-patch.c
+++ b/add-patch.c
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ static struct patch_mode patch_mode_add = {
 	.apply_args = { "--cached", NULL },
 	.apply_check_args = { "--cached", NULL },
 	.prompt_mode = {
-		N_("Stage mode change [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Stage deletion [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Stage addition [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Stage this hunk [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? ")
+		N_("Stage mode change%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Stage deletion%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Stage addition%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Stage this hunk%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? ")
 	},
 	.edit_hunk_hint = N_("If the patch applies cleanly, the edited hunk "
 			     "will immediately be marked for staging."),
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ static struct patch_mode patch_mode_stash = {
 	.apply_args = { "--cached", NULL },
 	.apply_check_args = { "--cached", NULL },
 	.prompt_mode = {
-		N_("Stash mode change [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Stash deletion [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Stash addition [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Stash this hunk [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Stash mode change%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Stash deletion%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Stash addition%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Stash this hunk%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
 	},
 	.edit_hunk_hint = N_("If the patch applies cleanly, the edited hunk "
 			     "will immediately be marked for stashing."),
@@ -88,10 +88,10 @@ static struct patch_mode patch_mode_reset_head = {
 	.is_reverse = 1,
 	.index_only = 1,
 	.prompt_mode = {
-		N_("Unstage mode change [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Unstage deletion [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Unstage addition [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Unstage this hunk [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Unstage mode change%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Unstage deletion%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Unstage addition%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Unstage this hunk%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
 	},
 	.edit_hunk_hint = N_("If the patch applies cleanly, the edited hunk "
 			     "will immediately be marked for unstaging."),
@@ -111,10 +111,10 @@ static struct patch_mode patch_mode_reset_nothead = {
 	.apply_check_args = { "--cached", NULL },
 	.index_only = 1,
 	.prompt_mode = {
-		N_("Apply mode change to index [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Apply deletion to index [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Apply addition to index [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Apply this hunk to index [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply mode change to index%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply deletion to index%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply addition to index%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply this hunk to index%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
 	},
 	.edit_hunk_hint = N_("If the patch applies cleanly, the edited hunk "
 			     "will immediately be marked for applying."),
@@ -134,10 +134,10 @@ static struct patch_mode patch_mode_checkout_index = {
 	.apply_check_args = { "-R", NULL },
 	.is_reverse = 1,
 	.prompt_mode = {
-		N_("Discard mode change from worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Discard deletion from worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Discard addition from worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Discard this hunk from worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard mode change from worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard deletion from worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard addition from worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard this hunk from worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
 	},
 	.edit_hunk_hint = N_("If the patch applies cleanly, the edited hunk "
 			     "will immediately be marked for discarding."),
@@ -157,10 +157,10 @@ static struct patch_mode patch_mode_checkout_head = {
 	.apply_check_args = { "-R", NULL },
 	.is_reverse = 1,
 	.prompt_mode = {
-		N_("Discard mode change from index and worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Discard deletion from index and worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Discard addition from index and worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Discard this hunk from index and worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard mode change from index and worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard deletion from index and worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard addition from index and worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard this hunk from index and worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
 	},
 	.edit_hunk_hint = N_("If the patch applies cleanly, the edited hunk "
 			     "will immediately be marked for discarding."),
@@ -179,10 +179,10 @@ static struct patch_mode patch_mode_checkout_nothead = {
 	.apply_for_checkout = 1,
 	.apply_check_args = { NULL },
 	.prompt_mode = {
-		N_("Apply mode change to index and worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Apply deletion to index and worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Apply addition to index and worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Apply this hunk to index and worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply mode change to index and worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply deletion to index and worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply addition to index and worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply this hunk to index and worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
 	},
 	.edit_hunk_hint = N_("If the patch applies cleanly, the edited hunk "
 			     "will immediately be marked for applying."),
@@ -202,10 +202,10 @@ static struct patch_mode patch_mode_worktree_head = {
 	.apply_check_args = { "-R", NULL },
 	.is_reverse = 1,
 	.prompt_mode = {
-		N_("Discard mode change from worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Discard deletion from worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Discard addition from worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Discard this hunk from worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard mode change from worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard deletion from worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard addition from worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Discard this hunk from worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
 	},
 	.edit_hunk_hint = N_("If the patch applies cleanly, the edited hunk "
 			     "will immediately be marked for discarding."),
@@ -224,10 +224,10 @@ static struct patch_mode patch_mode_worktree_nothead = {
 	.apply_args = { NULL },
 	.apply_check_args = { NULL },
 	.prompt_mode = {
-		N_("Apply mode change to worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Apply deletion to worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Apply addition to worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
-		N_("Apply this hunk to worktree [y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply mode change to worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply deletion to worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply addition to worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
+		N_("Apply this hunk to worktree%s[y,n,q,a,d%s,?]? "),
 	},
 	.edit_hunk_hint = N_("If the patch applies cleanly, the edited hunk "
 			     "will immediately be marked for applying."),
@@ -1448,6 +1448,7 @@ static int patch_update_file(struct add_p_state *s,
 	ssize_t i, undecided_previous, undecided_next, rendered_hunk_index = -1;
 	struct hunk *hunk;
 	char ch;
+	const char *hunk_use_decision;
 	struct child_process cp = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 	int colored = !!s->colored.len, quit = 0, use_pager = 0;
 	enum prompt_mode_type prompt_mode_type;
@@ -1564,8 +1565,17 @@ static int patch_update_file(struct add_p_state *s,
 			      (uintmax_t)(file_diff->hunk_nr
 						? file_diff->hunk_nr
 						: 1));
+		if (file_diff->hunk_nr) {
+			if (hunk->use == USE_HUNK)
+				hunk_use_decision = _(" (previous decision: use) ");
+			else if (hunk->use == SKIP_HUNK)
+				hunk_use_decision = _(" (previous decision: skip) ");
+			else
+				hunk_use_decision = " ";
+
+		}
 		printf(_(s->mode->prompt_mode[prompt_mode_type]),
-		       s->buf.buf);
+			hunk_use_decision, s->buf.buf);
 		if (*s->s.reset_color_interactive)
 			fputs(s->s.reset_color_interactive, stdout);
 		fflush(stdout);

-- 
2.39.5 (Apple Git-154)
Previous: Abraham Samuel AdekunleNext: Junio C Hamano
Message 4 of 25 in “add -p: show hunk selection state when selecting hunks”
  1. add -p: show hunk selection state when selecting hunksAbraham Samuel Adekunle, Nov 30, 2025
  2. Junio C HamanoNov 30, 2025
  3. Abraham Samuel AdekunleDec 1, 2025
  4. add -p: show user's hunk decision when selecting hunksAbraham Samuel Adekunle, Jan 1, 2026
  5. Junio C HamanoJan 1, 2026
  6. Samuel AbrahamJan 2, 2026
  7. add -p: show user's hunk decision when selecting hunksAbraham Samuel Adekunle, Jan 2, 2026
  8. Junio C HamanoJan 4, 2026
  9. Samuel AbrahamJan 4, 2026
  10. add -p: show user's hunk decision when selecting hunksAbraham Samuel Adekunle, Jan 4, 2026
  11. SZEDER GáborJan 5, 2026
  12. Samuel AbrahamJan 5, 2026
  13. add -p: show user's hunk decision when selecting hunksAbraham Samuel Adekunle, Jan 6, 2026
  14. Kristoffer HaugsbakkJan 6, 2026
  15. Samuel AbrahamJan 6, 2026
  16. add -p: show user's hunk decision when selecting hunksAbraham Samuel Adekunle, Jan 6, 2026
  17. Phillip WoodJan 6, 2026
  18. Ben KnobleJan 6, 2026
  19. Junio C HamanoJan 7, 2026
  20. Samuel AbrahamJan 6, 2026
  21. Samuel AbrahamJan 6, 2026
  22. Samuel AbrahamJan 7, 2026
  23. add -p: show user's hunk decision when selecting hunksAbraham Samuel Adekunle, Jan 8, 2026
  24. Junio C HamanoJan 11, 2026
  25. Samuel AbrahamJan 11, 2026

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