path: root/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt

git-format-patch(1)
===================

NAME
----
git-format-patch - Prepare patches for e-mail submission


SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
'git format-patch' [-k] [-o <dir> | --stdout] [--thread]
		   [--attach[=<boundary>] | --inline[=<boundary>] |
		     [--no-attach]]
		   [-s | --signoff] [<common diff options>]
		   [-n | --numbered | -N | --no-numbered]
		   [--start-number <n>] [--numbered-files]
		   [--in-reply-to=Message-Id] [--suffix=.<sfx>]
		   [--ignore-if-in-upstream]
		   [--subject-prefix=Subject-Prefix]
		   [--cc=<email>]
		   [--cover-letter]
		   [ <since> | <revision range> ]

DESCRIPTION
-----------

Prepare each commit with its patch in
one file per commit, formatted to resemble UNIX mailbox format.
The output of this command is convenient for e-mail submission or
for use with 'git-am'.

There are two ways to specify which commits to operate on.

1. A single commit, <since>, specifies that the commits leading
   to the tip of the current branch that are not in the history
   that leads to the <since> to be output.

2. Generic <revision range> expression (see "SPECIFYING
   REVISIONS" section in linkgit:git-rev-parse[1]) means the
   commits in the specified range.

The first rule takes precedence in the case of a single <commit>.  To
apply the second rule, i.e., format everything since the beginning of
history up until <commit>, use the '\--root' option: "git format-patch
\--root <commit>".  If you want to format only <commit> itself, you
can do this with "git format-patch -1 <commit>".

By default, each output file is numbered sequentially from 1, and uses the
first line of the commit message (massaged for pathname safety) as
the filename. With the --numbered-files option, the output file names
will only be numbers, without the first line of the commit appended.
The names of the output files are printed to standard
output, unless the --stdout option is specified.

If -o is specified, output files are created in <dir>.  Otherwise
they are created in the current working directory.

By default, the subject of a single patch is "[PATCH] First Line" and
the subject when multiple patches are output is "[PATCH n/m] First
Line". To force 1/1 to be added for a single patch, use -n.  To omit
patch numbers from the subject, use -N

If given --thread, 'git-format-patch' will generate In-Reply-To and
References headers to make the second and subsequent patch mails appear
as replies to the first mail; this also generates a Message-Id header to
reference.

OPTIONS
-------
:git-format-patch: 1
include::diff-options.txt[]

-<n>::
	Limits the number of patches to prepare.

-o <dir>::
--output-directory <dir>::
	Use <dir> to store the resulting files, instead of the
	current working directory.

-n::
--numbered::
	Name output in '[PATCH n/m]' format, even with a single patch.

-N::
--no-numbered::
	Name output in '[PATCH]' format.

--start-number <n>::
	Start numbering the patches at <n> instead of 1.

--numbered-files::
	Output file names will be a simple number sequence
	without the default first line of the commit appended.

-k::
--keep-subject::
	Do not strip/add '[PATCH]' from the first line of the
	commit log message.

-s::
--signoff::
	Add `Signed-off-by:` line to the commit message, using
	the committer identity of yourself.

--stdout::
	Print all commits to the standard output in mbox format,
	instead of creating a file for each one.

--attach[=<boundary>]::
	Create multipart/mixed attachment, the first part of
	which is the commit message and the patch itself in the
	second part, with "Content-Disposition: attachment".

--no-attach::
	Disable the creation of an attachment, overriding the
	configuration setting.

--inline[=<boundary>]::
	Create multipart/mixed attachment, the first part of
	which is the commit message and the patch itself in the
	second part, with "Content-Disposition: inline".

--thread[=<style>]::
	Add In-Reply-To and References headers to make the second and
	subsequent mails appear as replies to the first.  Also generates
	the Message-Id header to reference.
+
The optional <style> argument can be either `shallow` or `deep`.
'Shallow' threading makes every mail a reply to the head of the
series, where the head is chosen from the cover letter, the
`\--in-reply-to`, and the first patch mail, in this order.  'Deep'
threading makes every mail a reply to the previous one.  If not
specified, defaults to the 'format.thread' configuration, or `shallow`
if that is not set.

--in-reply-to=Message-Id::
	Make the first mail (or all the mails with --no-thread) appear as a
	reply to the given Message-Id, which avoids breaking threads to
	provide a new patch series.

--ignore-if-in-upstream::
	Do not include a patch that matches a commit in
	<until>..<since>.  This will examine all patches reachable
	from <since> but not from <until> and compare them with the
	patches being generated, and any patch that matches is
	ignored.

--subject-prefix=<Subject-Prefix>::
	Instead of the standard '[PATCH]' prefix in the subject
	line, instead use '[<Subject-Prefix>]'. This
	allows for useful naming of a patch series, and can be
	combined with the --numbered option.

--cc=<email>::
	Add a "Cc:" header to the email headers. This is in addition
	to any configured headers, and may be used multiple times.

--add-header=<header>::
	Add an arbitrary header to the email headers.  This is in addition
	to any configured headers, and may be used multiple times.
	For example, --add-header="Organization: git-foo"

--cover-letter::
	In addition to the patches, generate a cover letter file
	containing the shortlog and the overall diffstat.  You can
	fill in a description in the file before sending it out.

--suffix=.<sfx>::
	Instead of using `.patch` as the suffix for generated
	filenames, use specified suffix.  A common alternative is
	`--suffix=.txt`.
+
Note that you would need to include the leading dot `.` if you
want a filename like `0001-description-of-my-change.patch`, and
the first letter does not have to be a dot.  Leaving it empty would
not add any suffix.

--no-binary::
	Don't output contents of changes in binary files, just take note
	that they differ.  Note that this disable the patch to be properly
	applied.  By default the contents of changes in those files are
	encoded in the patch.

--root::
	Treat the revision argument as a <revision range>, even if it
	is just a single commit (that would normally be treated as a
	<since>).  Note that root commits included in the specified
	range are always formatted as creation patches, independently
	of this flag.

CONFIGURATION
-------------
You can specify extra mail header lines to be added to each message
in the repository configuration, new defaults for the subject prefix
and file suffix, control attachements, and number patches when outputting
more than one.

------------
[format]
	headers = "Organization: git-foo\n"
	subjectprefix = CHANGE
	suffix = .txt
	numbered = auto
	cc = <email>
	attach [ = mime-boundary-string ]
	signoff = true
------------


EXAMPLES
--------

* Extract commits between revisions R1 and R2, and apply them on top of
the current branch using 'git-am' to cherry-pick them:
+
------------
$ git format-patch -k --stdout R1..R2 | git am -3 -k
------------

* Extract all commits which are in the current branch but not in the
origin branch:
+
------------
$ git format-patch origin
------------
+
For each commit a separate file is created in the current directory.

* Extract all commits that lead to 'origin' since the inception of the
project:
+
------------
$ git format-patch --root origin
------------

* The same as the previous one:
+
------------
$ git format-patch -M -B origin
------------
+
Additionally, it detects and handles renames and complete rewrites
intelligently to produce a renaming patch.  A renaming patch reduces
the amount of text output, and generally makes it easier to review it.
Note that the "patch" program does not understand renaming patches, so
use it only when you know the recipient uses git to apply your patch.

* Extract three topmost commits from the current branch and format them
as e-mailable patches:
+
------------
$ git format-patch -3
------------

SEE ALSO
--------
linkgit:git-am[1], linkgit:git-send-email[1]


Author
------
Written by Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

Documentation
--------------
Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.

GIT
---
Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite