Hopefully final update to the draft Release Notes, preparing for 1.5.1

[git.git] / Documentation / git-fast-import.txt

diff --git a/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt b/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt
index 2a5052072a740ba8830f2be61a2486fd84d8ec43..eaba6fd4c168564f43ce2db3994dcb7b70bd4b54 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-fast-import.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ git-fast-import(1)
 
 NAME
 ----
-git-fast-import - Backend for fast Git data importers.
+git-fast-import - Backend for fast Git data importers
 
 
 SYNOPSIS
@@ -62,7 +62,27 @@ OPTIONS
        Dumps the internal marks table to <file> when complete.
        Marks are written one per line as `:markid SHA-1`.
        Frontends can use this file to validate imports after they
-       have been completed.
+       have been completed, or to save the marks table across
+       incremental runs.  As <file> is only opened and truncated
+       at checkpoint (or completion) the same path can also be
+       safely given to \--import-marks.
+
+--import-marks=<file>::
+       Before processing any input, load the marks specified in
+       <file>.  The input file must exist, must be readable, and
+       must use the same format as produced by \--export-marks.
+       Multiple options may be supplied to import more than one
+       set of marks.  If a mark is defined to different values,
+       the last file wins.
+
+--export-pack-edges=<file>::
+       After creating a packfile, print a line of data to
+       <file> listing the filename of the packfile and the last
+       commit on each branch that was written to that packfile.
+       This information may be useful after importing projects
+       whose total object set exceeds the 4 GiB packfile limit,
+       as these commits can be used as edge points during calls
+       to gitlink:git-pack-objects[1].
 
 --quiet::
        Disable all non-fatal output, making fast-import silent when it
@@ -340,17 +360,16 @@ their syntax.
 
 `from`
 ^^^^^^
-Only valid for the first commit made on this branch by this
-fast-import process.  The `from` command is used to specify the commit
-to initialize this branch from.  This revision will be the first
-ancestor of the new commit.
-
-Omitting the `from` command in the first commit of a new branch will
-cause fast-import to create that commit with no ancestor. This tends to be
-desired only for the initial commit of a project.  Omitting the
-`from` command on existing branches is required, as the current
-commit on that branch is automatically assumed to be the first
-ancestor of the new commit.
+The `from` command is used to specify the commit to initialize
+this branch from.  This revision will be the first ancestor of the
+new commit.
+
+Omitting the `from` command in the first commit of a new branch
+will cause fast-import to create that commit with no ancestor. This
+tends to be desired only for the initial commit of a project.
+Omitting the `from` command on existing branches is usually desired,
+as the current commit on that branch is automatically assumed to
+be the first ancestor of the new commit.
 
 As `LF` is not valid in a Git refname or SHA-1 expression, no
 quoting or escaping syntax is supported within `<committish>`.
@@ -443,7 +462,7 @@ in octal.  Git only supports the following modes:
 In both formats `<path>` is the complete path of the file to be added
 (if not already existing) or modified (if already existing).
 
-A `<path>` string must use UNIX-style directory seperators (forward
+A `<path>` string must use UNIX-style directory separators (forward
 slash `/`), may contain any byte other than `LF`, and must not
 start with double quote (`"`).
 
@@ -453,8 +472,8 @@ quoting should be used, e.g. `"path/with\n and \" in it"`.
 The value of `<path>` must be in canoncial form. That is it must not:
 
 * contain an empty directory component (e.g. `foo//bar` is invalid),
-* end with a directory seperator (e.g. `foo/` is invalid),
-* start with a directory seperator (e.g. `/foo` is invalid),
+* end with a directory separator (e.g. `foo/` is invalid),
+* start with a directory separator (e.g. `/foo` is invalid),
 * contain the special component `.` or `..` (e.g. `foo/./bar` and
   `foo/../bar` are invalid).
 
@@ -706,6 +725,13 @@ The branch LRU builtin to fast-import tends to behave very well, and the
 cost of activating an inactive branch is so low that bouncing around
 between branches has virtually no impact on import performance.
 
+Handling Renames
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+When importing a renamed file or directory, simply delete the old
+name(s) and modify the new name(s) during the corresponding commit.
+Git performs rename detection after-the-fact, rather than explicitly
+during a commit.
+
 Use Tag Fixup Branches
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Some other SCM systems let the user create a tag from multiple