# git patch format for rename 2 messages from 2016-07-06 to 2016-07-06. Participants: Nadya.Zabrodina@jetbrains.com, Stefan Beller. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/42787 ## Nadya.Zabrodina@jetbrains.com, 2016-07-06 16:00 Subject: git patch format for rename Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/F58A6A72-4AE5-42FA-843D-66FF809FF1A8%40jetbrains.com ``` Hi, could you please explain to me why ‘rename from & rename to’ information is added to git patch? Here is the patch created by `git format-patch`: diff --git a/before.txt b/after.txt similarity index 100% rename from before.txt rename to after.txt Is there any reason why git can’t recognize and apply rename-change which looks like this: diff --git a/before.txt b/after.txt --- a/before.txt +++ b/after.txt or even like this: diff --git a/before.txt b/after.txt I’m implementing a program (with an IDE) to create patches compatible with Git and want to have better understanding of the format and possible issues with it. Thanks a lot in advance. ``` ## Stefan Beller, 2016-07-06 17:45 Subject: Re: git patch format for rename Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAGZ79kaA1208Z7kMYJR42NRvYnh4T36M6Rz5W3jok0%3DZfvmyHg%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: ``` On Wed, Jul 6, 2016 at 9:00 AM, Nadya.Zabrodina@jetbrains.com wrote: > Hi, > > could you please explain to me why ‘rename from & rename to’ information is added to git patch? > Is there any reason why git can’t recognize and apply rename-change which looks like this: > > diff --git a/before.txt b/after.txt > --- a/before.txt > +++ b/after.txt See https://github.com/git/git/blob/master/Documentation/diff-generate-patch.txt for the status quo. I think most of it grew over time and made sense at the time of implementation, so the alternatives were maybe considered, you'd need to look for the old discussions around the diff format. > > I’m implementing a program (with an IDE) to create patches compatible with Git and want to have better understanding of the format and possible issues with it. > > Thanks a lot in advance. > > > -- > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe git" in > the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org > More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html ```