threads / discuss / 32459

generating format-patch options from an e-mail

Subject: generating format-patch options from an e-mail

## tl;dr

5 messages between Dec 26, 2012 and Dec 26, 2012.

replies: 4people: 4as markdown or json

Simon Oosthoek· Dec 26, 2012, 20:06 UTC · lore
Hi all
I've been very frustrated by the process to setup a commandline for git format-patch, to include everyone in the cc list and reply to the right message-id.
In my frustration I created a perl script to generate the options from a saved e-mail, I realise that it may be non-general and perhaps it could be written better using a module which understands e-mails, but well, it worked for me ;-)

Anyway, I could imagine this as optional flag of git format-patch, so you could say: $ git format-patch -s --in-reply-to-email <mboxfile> a7fe7de8

But I'll save that as an exercise for the reader (or the future)
Cheers
Simon
Junio C Hamano· Dec 26, 2012, 20:35 UTC · re: Simon Oosthoek · lore

Re: generating format-patch options from an e-mail

Simon Oosthoek <s.oosthoek@xs4all.nl> writes:
Show 10 quoted lines
> Hi all
>
> I've been very frustrated by the process to setup a commandline for git format-patch, to include everyone in the cc list and reply to the right message-id.
>
> In my frustration I created a perl script to generate the options from a saved e-mail, I realise that it may be non-general and perhaps it could be written better using a module which understands e-mails, but well, it worked for me ;-)
>
> Anyway, I could imagine this as optional flag of git format-patch, so you could say:
> $ git format-patch -s --in-reply-to-email <mboxfile> a7fe7de8
>
> But I'll save that as an exercise for the reader (or the future)

I think a much more general approach would be to turn your script into "get-msg-id" script and use it like so:

  $ git format-patch --in-reply-to $(get-msg-id <mboxfile>) a7fe7de8

Then you can reuse that script in a context outside format-patch, whereever you need the message-id in a single message in the mailbox.

Simon Oosthoek· Dec 26, 2012, 21:07 UTC · re: Junio C Hamano · lore

Re: generating format-patch options from an e-mail

* Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> [2012-12-26 12:35:28 -0800]:
Show 15 quoted lines
> >
> > Anyway, I could imagine this as optional flag of git format-patch, so you could say:
> > $ git format-patch -s --in-reply-to-email <mboxfile> a7fe7de8
> >
> > But I'll save that as an exercise for the reader (or the future)
> 
> I think a much more general approach would be to turn your script
> into "get-msg-id" script and use it like so:
> 
>   $ git format-patch --in-reply-to $(get-msg-id <mboxfile>) a7fe7de8
> 
> Then you can reuse that script in a context outside format-patch,
> whereever you need the message-id in a single message in the
> mailbox.
> 
That would work for the message-ID, but not for the various To: and Cc: addresses.
The hacky script that I sent afterwards produces a string with the various options to git format-patch (--to --cc --in-reply-to) based on the headers To:/Cc:/From:/Message-ID:
Cheers
Simon
Pyeron, Jason J CTR (US)· Dec 26, 2012, 21:31 UTC · re: Simon Oosthoek · lore

RE: generating format-patch options from an e-mail

Show 9 quoted lines
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Simon Oosthoek
> Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2012 4:08 PM
> 
> * Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> [2012-12-26 12:35:28 -0800]:
> > >
> > > Anyway, I could imagine this as optional flag of git format-patch,
> so you could say:
> > > $ git format-patch -s --in-reply-to-email <mboxfile> a7fe7de8
Anyway you would need a --in-reply-to-email and a --in-reply-to-all-email, both should support stdin. Then you can feel free to --[no-]to and --[no-]cc (where is the --bcc?) to your heart's content.
It would be a nice addition.
Show 17 quoted lines
> > >
> > > But I'll save that as an exercise for the reader (or the future)
> >
> > I think a much more general approach would be to turn your script
> > into "get-msg-id" script and use it like so:
> >
> >   $ git format-patch --in-reply-to $(get-msg-id <mboxfile>) a7fe7de8
> >
> > Then you can reuse that script in a context outside format-patch,
> > whereever you need the message-id in a single message in the
> > mailbox.
> >
> 
> That would work for the message-ID, but not for the various To: and Cc:
> addresses.
> 
> The hacky script that I sent afterwards produces a string with the
Nit, it does not make use of the reply-to header if present.
Show 10 quoted lines
> various options to git format-patch (--to --cc --in-reply-to) based on
> the headers To:/Cc:/From:/Message-ID:
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Simon
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Jeff King· Dec 26, 2012, 21:57 UTC · re: Pyeron, Jason J CTR (US) · lore

Re: generating format-patch options from an e-mail

On Wed, Dec 26, 2012 at 09:31:46PM +0000, Pyeron, Jason J CTR (US) wrote:
Show 6 quoted lines
> > That would work for the message-ID, but not for the various To: and Cc:
> > addresses.
> > 
> > The hacky script that I sent afterwards produces a string with the
> 
> Nit, it does not make use of the reply-to header if present.

I do something very similar to Simon, except that rather than generating a reply with my script, I generate the cover letter in my MUA, and then use that response as a template. So the MUA does the heavy lifting, understanding reply-to, culling my own address from cc, etc. The format-patch replies then have the exact same to/cc headers as the template, and use the template's message-id as the in-reply-to (for proper threading).

My perl looks like this (feed the template via stdin):
  perl -ne '
    if (defined $opt && /^\s+(.*)/) {
      $val .= " $1";
      next;
    }
    if (defined $opt) {
      print "--$opt=", quotemeta($val), " ";
      $opt = $val = undef;
    }
    if (/^(cc|to):\s*(.*)/i) {
      $opt = lc($1);
      $val = $2;
    }
    elsif (/^message-id:\s*(.*)/i) {
      $opt = "in-reply-to";
      $val = $1;
    }
  '

That, of course, presupposes a cover letter. If I am sending a single patch, then I just do "format-patch --stdout" right into my MUA's editor), and let it handle the headers.

-Peff

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