Re: [PATCH v2] format-patch: fix From header in cover letter

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Feb 17, 2026, 15:22 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqecmje6o6.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <20260217063400.GA101988@coredump.intra.peff.net>

Jeff King <peff@peff.net> writes:

> I think that wording comes from me back in 2013, and I just never gave
> any thought to cover-letter generation by format-patch itself.

Figures. If "--from" was done by somebody who did not know or care about the cover letter, it is totally understandable omission the patch addresses. The log message may want to refer to a9080475 (teach format-patch to place other authors into in-body "From", 2013-07-03).

> I never
> use it (and I probably forgot it even existed, given that most people
> would use send-email's cover letter generation, and I do my own thing
> with mutt).

I use it myself and I really hate the way it lists the patches. We should have done "log --oneline --reverse" instead of "shortlog", as it is hard to understand the reference the cover letter message makes to individual patches like "the first two patches do X", etc.

> So I think the direction of the patch is good, and I agree it would make
> sense to clarify the documentation.

Yes. It does make sense to document the change in thinking in the proposed log message and in documentation.

Thanks.