threads / patch / 15945

patchDocumentation: Better explain git-commit --author implications

Subject: [PATCH] Documentation: Better explain git-commit --author implications

## tl;dr

3 messages between Oct 18, 2008 and Oct 19, 2008. Diffs are folded; open one to read it.

replies: 2people: 2as markdown or json

Abhijit Bhopatkar· Oct 18, 2008, 03:35 UTC · lore

'--author' changes the author name and email, but the documentation was not clear that it will not affect the '--signoff' option which will still use the user's name and email from the git settings.

Signed-off-by: Abhijit Bhopatkar <bain@devslashzero.com>
---
 Documentation/git-commit.txt |    4 +++-
 1 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)

Show changes to Documentation/git-commit.txt +3 −1

diff --git a/Documentation/git-commit.txt b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
index eb05b0f..17b69fa 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-commit.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ OPTIONS
 	Override the author name used in the commit.  You can use the
 	standard `A U Thor <author@example.com>` format.  Otherwise,
 	an existing commit that matches the given string and its author
-	name is used.
+	name is used. This has no effect on singoff line which will
+	still use commiter name and email .

 -m <msg>::
 --message=<msg>::
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ OPTIONS
 -s::
 --signoff::
 	Add Signed-off-by line at the end of the commit message.
+	'--author' option has no effect on this line.

 -n::
 --no-verify::

-- 
1.5.6.3

Junio C Hamano· Oct 18, 2008, 04:55 UTC · re: Abhijit Bhopatkar · lore

Re: [PATCH] Documentation: Better explain git-commit --author implications

Abhijit Bhopatkar <bain@devslashzero.com> writes:

Show 29 quoted lines

> '--author' changes the author name and email, but the
> documentation was not clear that it will not affect the
> '--signoff' option which will still use the user's name and
> email from the git settings.
>
> Signed-off-by: Abhijit Bhopatkar <bain@devslashzero.com>
> ---
>  Documentation/git-commit.txt |    4 +++-
>  1 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/git-commit.txt b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
> index eb05b0f..17b69fa 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-commit.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
> @@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ OPTIONS
>  	Override the author name used in the commit.  You can use the
>  	standard `A U Thor <author@example.com>` format.  Otherwise,
>  	an existing commit that matches the given string and its author
> -	name is used.
> +	name is used. This has no effect on singoff line which will
> +	still use commiter name and email .
>
>  -m <msg>::
>  --message=<msg>::
> @@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ OPTIONS
>  -s::
>  --signoff::
>  	Add Signed-off-by line at the end of the commit message.
> +	'--author' option has no effect on this line.

I think it is much clearer if you do not say what does _not_ affect things, but instead say what does. So let's do this instead.

        --signoff::
                Add Signed-off-by line by the committer at the end of the commit
                log message.

And no other changes.

By making it clear that signoff is about the committer, it would be clear that --author (or GIT_AUTHOR_NAME environment variable) would not affect it.

Abhijit Bhopatkar· Oct 19, 2008, 04:19 UTC · re: Junio C Hamano · lore

[PATCH] Documentation: Clarify '--signoff' for git-commit

'--signoff' uses commiter name always to add the signoff line, make it explicit in the documentation.

Signed-off-by: Abhijit Bhopatkar <bain@devslashzero.com>
---
 Documentation/git-commit.txt |    3 ++-
 1 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)

Show changes to Documentation/git-commit.txt +2 −1

diff --git a/Documentation/git-commit.txt b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
index eb05b0f..713ab0a 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-commit.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ OPTIONS

 -s::
 --signoff::
-	Add Signed-off-by line at the end of the commit message.
+	Add Signed-off-by line by the commiter at the end of the commit
+	log message.

 -n::
 --no-verify::

-- 
1.5.6.3