# [PATCH] format-patch: Update the `-3` example 7 messages from 2010-08-21 to 2010-08-21. Participants: Ramkumar Ramachandra, Jakub Narebski, Johannes Sixt. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/24816 ## Ramkumar Ramachandra, 2010-08-21 09:26 Subject: [PATCH] format-patch: Update the `-3` example Message-ID: <1282382819-25097-1-git-send-email-artagnon@gmail.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1282382819-25097-1-git-send-email-artagnon%40gmail.com ``` In the EXAMPLES section, `git-format-patch -3` doesn't work anymore. Update it to read `git format-patch HEAD~3`. The example was introduced in 7c49628 and had not been updated since. Signed-off-by: Ramkumar Ramachandra --- Documentation/git-format-patch.txt | 2 +- 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt index 4b3f5ba..2a44472 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt @@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ use it only when you know the recipient uses git to apply your patch. as e-mailable patches: + ------------ -$ git format-patch -3 +$ git format-patch HEAD~3 ------------ SEE ALSO -- 1.7.2.2.409.gdbb11.dirty ``` ## Jakub Narebski, 2010-08-21 10:23 Subject: Re: [PATCH] format-patch: Update the `-3` example Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/m3sk28nu24.fsf%40localhost.localdomain In-Reply-To: <1282382819-25097-1-git-send-email-artagnon@gmail.com> ``` Ramkumar Ramachandra writes: > In the EXAMPLES section, `git-format-patch -3` doesn't work > anymore. Update it to read `git format-patch HEAD~3`. The example was > introduced in 7c49628 and had not been updated since. > > Signed-off-by: Ramkumar Ramachandra > --- > Documentation/git-format-patch.txt | 2 +- > 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-) > > diff --git a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt > index 4b3f5ba..2a44472 100644 > --- a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt > +++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt > @@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ use it only when you know the recipient uses git to apply your patch. > as e-mailable patches: > + > ------------ > -$ git format-patch -3 > +$ git format-patch HEAD~3 > ------------ Works for me: 5031:[gitweb/split@git]# git format-patch -3 0001-gitweb-Prepare-for-splitting-gitweb.txt 0002-gitweb-Create-Gitweb-Git-module.txt 5034:[gitweb/split@git]# git version git version 1.7.2.1 The -3 is git-log option: - Limits the number of commits to show. and also git-format-patch option: - Limits the number of patches to prepare. -- Jakub Narebski Poland ShadeHawk on #git ``` ## Ramkumar Ramachandra, 2010-08-21 10:34 Subject: Re: [PATCH] format-patch: Update the `-3` example Message-ID: <20100821103404.GB31130@kytes> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20100821103404.GB31130%40kytes In-Reply-To: ``` Hi Jakub, Jakub Narebski writes: > Works for me: > > 5031:[gitweb/split@git]# git format-patch -3 > 0001-gitweb-Prepare-for-splitting-gitweb.txt > 0002-gitweb-Create-Gitweb-Git-module.txt > > 5034:[gitweb/split@git]# git version > git version 1.7.2.1 > > > The -3 is git-log option: > > - Limits the number of commits to show. > > and also git-format-patch option: > > - Limits the number of patches to prepare. Hm, doesn't work on the `pu` Git, but works on `master` -- I'm currently bisecting to find the problem. `git log -3` works though. -- Ram ``` ## Ramkumar Ramachandra, 2010-08-21 10:53 Subject: Re: [PATCH] format-patch: Update the `-3` example Message-ID: <20100821105351.GC31130@kytes> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20100821105351.GC31130%40kytes In-Reply-To: <20100821103404.GB31130@kytes> ``` Hi, Ramkumar Ramachandra writes: > Hi Jakub, > > Jakub Narebski writes: > > Works for me: > > > > 5031:[gitweb/split@git]# git format-patch -3 > > 0001-gitweb-Prepare-for-splitting-gitweb.txt > > 0002-gitweb-Create-Gitweb-Git-module.txt > > > > 5034:[gitweb/split@git]# git version > > git version 1.7.2.1 > > > > > > The -3 is git-log option: > > > > - Limits the number of commits to show. > > > > and also git-format-patch option: > > > > - Limits the number of patches to prepare. > > Hm, doesn't work on the `pu` Git, but works on `master` -- I'm > currently bisecting to find the problem. `git log -3` works > though. :facepalm: Scratch out what I just said -- I just realized that `git format-patch HEAD~3` handles merge commits, but `git format-patch -3` does not. `git format-patch -3 HEAD~3` is even more confusing- should we even advertise the `-` option in format-patch? -- Ram ``` ## Johannes Sixt, 2010-08-21 13:54 Subject: Re: [PATCH] format-patch: Update the `-3` example Message-ID: <201008211554.27585.j6t@kdbg.org> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/201008211554.27585.j6t%40kdbg.org In-Reply-To: <20100821105351.GC31130@kytes> ``` On Samstag, 21. August 2010, Ramkumar Ramachandra wrote: > should we > even advertise the `-` option in format-patch? Oh, yeah! IMHO, it is its most useful option. -- Hannes ``` ## Jakub Narebski, 2010-08-21 14:59 Subject: Re: [PATCH] format-patch: Update the `-3` example Message-ID: <201008211659.38608.jnareb@gmail.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/201008211659.38608.jnareb%40gmail.com In-Reply-To: <20100821105351.GC31130@kytes> ``` On Sat, 21 Aug 2010, Ramkumar Ramachandra wrote: > Ramkumar Ramachandra writes: > > Jakub Narebski writes: > > > Works for me: > > > > > > 5031:[gitweb/split@git]# git format-patch -3 > > > 0001-gitweb-Prepare-for-splitting-gitweb.txt > > > 0002-gitweb-Create-Gitweb-Git-module.txt > > > > > > 5034:[gitweb/split@git]# git version > > > git version 1.7.2.1 > > > > > > > > > The -3 is git-log option: > > > > > > - Limits the number of commits to show. > > > > > > and also git-format-patch option: > > > > > > - Limits the number of patches to prepare. > > > > Hm, doesn't work on the `pu` Git, but works on `master` -- I'm > > currently bisecting to find the problem. `git log -3` works > > though. > > :facepalm: > > Scratch out what I just said -- I just realized that `git format-patch > HEAD~3` handles merge commits, but `git format-patch -3` does > not. `git format-patch -3 HEAD~3` is even more confusing- should we > even advertise the `-` option in format-patch? It looks like there is a conceptual bug in how git-format-patch works, namely that '-' is passed to rev-list / log generating machinery, and it limits number of *commits* to consider; if some of those commits are merge commits, which cannot be represented as patches, the number of patches it generates is less than specified (as you can see in the example I have provided, where == 3, and git-format-patch generated 2 patches, not 3). In extreme case (like 'pu') it can generate no patch. I am not sure what the solution should be. We could either: A. Update git-format-patch documentation to say 'commits' instead of 'patches', and perhaps also be loud about commits we are skipping, so that my example would look e.g. like this: $ git format-patch -3 0001-gitweb-Prepare-for-splitting-gitweb.txt 0002-gitweb-Create-Gitweb-Git-module.txt Skipping merge commit: Merge branch 'maint' or B. Modify git-format-patch so that "git format-patch -" would always generate patches from specified commits, if there are that many. But I think that option B.) it might be difficult, so perhaps A.) is "it". -- Jakub Narebski Poland ``` ## Ramkumar Ramachandra, 2010-08-21 16:49 Subject: Re: [PATCH] format-patch: Update the `-3` example Message-ID: <20100821164900.GD31130@kytes> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20100821164900.GD31130%40kytes In-Reply-To: <201008211659.38608.jnareb@gmail.com> ``` Hi Jakub, Jakub Narebski writes: > On Sat, 21 Aug 2010, Ramkumar Ramachandra wrote: > > Ramkumar Ramachandra writes: > > > Jakub Narebski writes: > > > > Works for me: > > > > > > > > 5031:[gitweb/split@git]# git format-patch -3 > > > > 0001-gitweb-Prepare-for-splitting-gitweb.txt > > > > 0002-gitweb-Create-Gitweb-Git-module.txt > > > > > > > > 5034:[gitweb/split@git]# git version > > > > git version 1.7.2.1 > > > > > > > > > > > > The -3 is git-log option: > > > > > > > > - Limits the number of commits to show. > > > > > > > > and also git-format-patch option: > > > > > > > > - Limits the number of patches to prepare. > > > > > > Hm, doesn't work on the `pu` Git, but works on `master` -- I'm > > > currently bisecting to find the problem. `git log -3` works > > > though. > > > > :facepalm: > > > > Scratch out what I just said -- I just realized that `git format-patch > > HEAD~3` handles merge commits, but `git format-patch -3` does > > not. `git format-patch -3 HEAD~3` is even more confusing- should we > > even advertise the `-` option in format-patch? > > It looks like there is a conceptual bug in how git-format-patch works, > namely that '-' is passed to rev-list / log generating machinery, > and it limits number of *commits* to consider; if some of those commits > are merge commits, which cannot be represented as patches, the number > of patches it generates is less than specified (as you can see in > the example I have provided, where == 3, and git-format-patch > generated 2 patches, not 3). In extreme case (like 'pu') it can > generate no patch. > > I am not sure what the solution should be. We could either: > > A. Update git-format-patch documentation to say 'commits' instead of > 'patches', and perhaps also be loud about commits we are skipping, > so that my example would look e.g. like this: > > $ git format-patch -3 > 0001-gitweb-Prepare-for-splitting-gitweb.txt > 0002-gitweb-Create-Gitweb-Git-module.txt > Skipping merge commit: Merge branch 'maint' Thanks for the awesome explanation! A is definitely the way to go- I'll start writing a patch immediately. -- Ram ```