[PATCH v4 4/5] doc: git-rebase: move --onto explanation down
- From
Julia Evans via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
- Date
- Aug 9, 2025, 01:14 UTC
- Message-ID
- <b37ebc8389d1c1df0f0114d9105e774d745e4361.1754702057.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
- In-Reply-To
- <pull.1949.v4.git.1754702057.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
From: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>
There's a very clear explanation with examples of using --onto which is currently buried in the very long DESCRIPTION section. This moves it to its own section, so that we can reference the explanation from the `--onto` option by name.
Signed-off-by: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca> --- Documentation/git-rebase.adoc | 168 ++++++++++++++++++---------------- 1 file changed, 87 insertions(+), 81 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/git-rebase.adoc b/Documentation/git-rebase.adoc index 914f743ae00f..50c84f138212 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-rebase.adoc +++ b/Documentation/git-rebase.adoc @@ -111,87 +111,6 @@ will result in: D---E---A'---F master ------------ -Here is how you would transplant a topic branch based on one -branch to another, to pretend that you forked the topic branch -from the latter branch, using `rebase --onto`. - -First let's assume your 'topic' is based on branch 'next'. -For example, a feature developed in 'topic' depends on some -functionality which is found in 'next'. - ------------- - o---o---o---o---o master - \ - o---o---o---o---o next - \ - o---o---o topic ------------- - -We want to make 'topic' forked from branch 'master'; for example, -because the functionality on which 'topic' depends was merged into the -more stable 'master' branch. We want our tree to look like this: - ------------- - o---o---o---o---o master - | \ - | o'--o'--o' topic - \ - o---o---o---o---o next ------------- - -We can get this using the following command: - - git rebase --onto master next topic - - -Another example of --onto option is to rebase part of a -branch. If we have the following situation: - ------------- - H---I---J topicB - / - E---F---G topicA - / - A---B---C---D master ------------- - -then the command - - git rebase --onto master topicA topicB - -would result in: - ------------- - H'--I'--J' topicB - / - | E---F---G topicA - |/ - A---B---C---D master ------------- - -This is useful when topicB does not depend on topicA. - -A range of commits could also be removed with rebase. If we have -the following situation: - ------------- - E---F---G---H---I---J topicA ------------- - -then the command - - git rebase --onto topicA~5 topicA~3 topicA - -would result in the removal of commits F and G: - ------------- - E---H'---I'---J' topicA ------------- - -This is useful if F and G were flawed in some way, or should not be -part of topicA. Note that the argument to `--onto` and the `<upstream>` -parameter can be any valid commit-ish. - MODE OPTIONS ------------ @@ -237,6 +156,8 @@ As a special case, you may use "A\...B" as a shortcut for the merge base of A and B if there is exactly one merge base. You can leave out at most one of A and B, in which case it defaults to HEAD. +See TRANSPLANTING A TOPIC BRANCH WITH --ONTO below for examples. + --keep-base:: Set the starting point at which to create the new commits to the merge base of `<upstream>` and `<branch>`. Running @@ -1015,6 +936,91 @@ consistent (they compile, pass the testsuite, etc.) you should use after each commit, test, and amend the commit if fixes are necessary. +TRANSPLANTING A TOPIC BRANCH WITH --ONTO +---------------------------------------- + +Here is how you would transplant a topic branch based on one +branch to another, to pretend that you forked the topic branch +from the latter branch, using `rebase --onto`. + +First let's assume your 'topic' is based on branch 'next'. +For example, a feature developed in 'topic' depends on some +functionality which is found in 'next'. + +------------ + o---o---o---o---o master + \ + o---o---o---o---o next + \ + o---o---o topic +------------ + +We want to make 'topic' forked from branch 'master'; for example, +because the functionality on which 'topic' depends was merged into the +more stable 'master' branch. We want our tree to look like this: + +------------ + o---o---o---o---o master + | \ + | o'--o'--o' topic + \ + o---o---o---o---o next +------------ + +We can get this using the following command: + + git rebase --onto master next topic + + +Another example of --onto option is to rebase part of a +branch. If we have the following situation: + +------------ + H---I---J topicB + / + E---F---G topicA + / + A---B---C---D master +------------ + +then the command + + git rebase --onto master topicA topicB + +would result in: + +------------ + H'--I'--J' topicB + / + | E---F---G topicA + |/ + A---B---C---D master +------------ + +This is useful when topicB does not depend on topicA. + +A range of commits could also be removed with rebase. If we have +the following situation: + +------------ + E---F---G---H---I---J topicA +------------ + +then the command + + git rebase --onto topicA~5 topicA~3 topicA + +would result in the removal of commits F and G: + +------------ + E---H'---I'---J' topicA +------------ + +This is useful if F and G were flawed in some way, or should not be +part of topicA. Note that the argument to `--onto` and the `<upstream>` +parameter can be any valid commit-ish. + + RECOVERING FROM UPSTREAM REBASE -------------------------------
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