# format-patch and send-email 3 messages from 2007-02-18 to 2007-02-18. Participants: Xavier Maillard, Junio C Hamano. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/6865 ## Xavier Maillard, 2007-02-18 08:49 Subject: format-patch and send-email Message-ID: <5680.1171788594@localhost> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/5680.1171788594%40localhost ``` Hi, I tried to use format-patch and send-email but I think I am misusing them because it does not react as I would expect. First, here is how git log looks like on my little repository: commit 50c7032fa011b1e5c7bd63e4bc474c802017677d Author: Xavier Maillard Date: Fri Feb 16 20:20:18 2007 +0100 * Added 2007 to the copyright notice * Added a note on relation between org-publish and blorg * Changed/corrected things here and there * Added a warning on needed skills before manipulating your own templates commit 0e35f7847c7becc52ebcd51d9b043c626f9b3b3f Author: Xavier Maillard Date: Fri Feb 16 20:03:42 2007 +0100 new file: doc/blorg.texi (original version) Now I want to extract a patch and set it ready to be sent (I added head -20 just to illustrate my problem): git-format-patch --stdout -k 0e35f7847c7becc52ebcd51d9b043c626f9b3b3f | head -12 >From 50c7032fa011b1e5c7bd63e4bc474c802017677d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Xavier Maillard Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 20:20:18 +0100 Subject: * Added 2007 to the copyright notice To: * Added a note on relation between org-publish and blorg * Changed/corrected things here and there * Added a warning on needed skills before manipulating your own templates --- doc/blorg.texi | 31 +++++++++++++++++++------------ 1 files changed, 19 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-) The "To" header has been set up in my .git/config file. But why the 'Subject' is like this and also why are there 2 'From' headers ? Actually, why can't I just do like this ? : git format-patch | git send-email ? Thank you for your explanations. Xavier ``` ## Junio C Hamano, 2007-02-18 09:22 Subject: Re: format-patch and send-email Message-ID: <7vps87hlbp.fsf@assigned-by-dhcp.cox.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/7vps87hlbp.fsf%40assigned-by-dhcp.cox.net In-Reply-To: <5680.1171788594@localhost> ``` Xavier Maillard writes: > From 50c7032fa011b1e5c7bd63e4bc474c802017677d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 > From: Xavier Maillard > Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 20:20:18 +0100 > Subject: * Added 2007 to the copyright notice > To: > * Added a note on relation between org-publish and blorg > * Changed/corrected things here and there > * Added a warning on needed skills before manipulating your own templates > --- > doc/blorg.texi | 31 +++++++++++++++++++------------ > 1 files changed, 19 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-) > The "To" header has been set up in my .git/config file. But why > the 'Subject' is like this and also why are there 2 'From' > headers ? The "format-patch" output was designed to (minimally) mimic what you would see in a UNIX mbox as if you (or whoever would apply the e-mailed patches to repository) received it, so that anybody can later run "am" on it. The first "From " is what sometimes is called "UNIX-From " line, which separates each piece of e-mail in mbox formatted mailbox file. The second one is used to record the author of the patch. The commit log message is expected to be: A single line description of a patch More detailed explanation of the patch with possibly multi-line or multi-paragraph text. and the single line description becomes the subject. Your commit seems to squash four completely unrelated changes into one, and enumerates only single-liner description for each independent item, like this: * foo * bar * baz * boa which makes format-patch think you wanted to title it "* foo" with more detailed description "* bar *baz *boa". I think you would be much happier if you acquired a habit to make smaller commits, that touch only one thing at a time without mixing up unrelated things together, and give more descriptive messages to each of them. > Actually, why can't I just do like this ? : > > git format-patch | git send-email ? While I know format-patch can be told to write to standard output, I do not know if send-email can be told to read from the standard input (I do not use send-email myself). Some people seem to use send-imap to stuff format-patch output to imap drafts. I just read format-patch output into message composition buffer of my MUA (message mode of Emacs) and send it out just as an ordinary e-mail (iow, as if I typed it). In other words, you do not have to use send-email as-is, if what it does does not suit your needs. I suspect the intended usage original author of "send-email" envisioned was to have lots of format-patch output files and send them in bulk, so probably reading from standard input was not high on its design goals. I dunno. While I do believe some people use it, I haven't seen much active development/enhancement on send-email from the users lately. ``` ## Xavier Maillard, 2007-02-18 18:17 Subject: Re: format-patch and send-email Message-ID: <9388.1171822645@localhost> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/9388.1171822645%40localhost In-Reply-To: <7vps87hlbp.fsf@assigned-by-dhcp.cox.net> ``` Hi Junio, Junio C Hamano wrote: > Xavier Maillard writes: > >> [SNIP SNIP] > > The "format-patch" output was designed to (minimally) mimic what > you would see in a UNIX mbox as if you (or whoever would apply > the e-mailed patches to repository) received it, so that anybody > can later run "am" on it. The first "From " is what sometimes > is called "UNIX-From " line, which separates each piece of > e-mail in mbox formatted mailbox file. The second one is used > to record the author of the patch. > > The commit log message is expected to be: > > A single line description of a patch > > More detailed explanation of the patch with > possibly multi-line or multi-paragraph text. > > and the single line description becomes the subject. Ok so I need to revert my usual practise :) Thank you for your answers. I know have understood what was wrong ;) Regards, Xavier ```