Re: [PATCH] doc: warn against --committer-date-is-author-date

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Oct 9, 2025, 21:41 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqo6qfda78.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <3a8dfd13-982d-4c83-b675-1e9a63bb6ab0@gmail.com>

Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com> writes:

>>  You should only use
>> +	this option to lie about the committer date when applying
>
> s/lie/override/ ?

It cannot be "fixing an earlier mistake by overriding the correct data". It is deliberately using a data that does not match the reality to replace what was recorded, so in this case, "lie" would be the proper characterization, I would think.

Show 18 quoted lines

>>   --committer-date-is-author-date::
>> -	Instead of using the current time as the committer date, use
>> -	the author date of the commit being rebased as the committer
>> -	date. This option implies `--force-rebase`.
>> +	NOTE: The history walking machinery assumes that commits have
>> +	strictly increasing commit timestamps, with some tolerance for
>> +	clock skew (see linkgit:git-rev-list[1]). You should only use
>> +	this option to lie about the committer date when applying
>> +	commits on top of a base which commit is older (in terms of the
>
> The comments above apply here as well. In addition s/applying 
> commits/rebasing commits/ for this command I think.
>
>> +	commit date) than the oldest commit you are applying (in
>> +	terms of the author date).
>
> We should also warn against using this option when rearranging commits 
> with "git rebase -i" as well.

True.

> Thanks for working on this, it is a very good idea to add a warning to 
> the documentation for this option. I'm going to be off the list for the 
> next 10 days or so, I'll look at any re-roll when I return.