Update documentation for git-format-patch

[jc: adjusted for recently resurrected features]

Signed-off-by: Dennis Stosberg <dennis@stosberg.net>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>

diff --git a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
index 7cc7fafc1d7fbe380ffa53e0d028886e15d0010e..493cac22dbe16dd5bdb9eed8f91f93ea184fa622 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
@@ -9,37 +9,46 @@ git-format-patch - Prepare patches for e-mail submission
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
-'git-format-patch' [-n | -k] [-o <dir> | --stdout] [--attach] [-s] [-c]
-                [--diff-options] <his> [<mine>]
+'git-format-patch' [-n | -k] [-o <dir> | --stdout] [--attach]
+                  [-s | --signoff] [--diff-options] [--start-number <n>]
+                  <since>[..<until>]
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
-Prepare each commit with its patch since <mine> head forked from
-<his> head, one file per patch formatted to resemble UNIX mailbox
-format, for e-mail submission or use with gitlink:git-am[1].
+
+Prepare each commit between <since> and <until> with its patch in
+one file per commit, formatted to resemble UNIX mailbox format.
+If ..<until> is not specified, the head of the current working
+tree is implied.
+
+The output of this command is convenient for e-mail submission or
+for use with gitlink:git-am[1].
 
 Each output file is numbered sequentially from 1, and uses the
-first line of the commit message (massaged for pathname safety)
-as the filename.
+first line of the commit message (massaged for pathname safety) as
+the filename. The names of the output files are printed to standard
+output, unless the --stdout option is specified.
 
-When -o is specified, output files are created in <dir>; otherwise
-they are created in the current working directory.  This option
-is ignored if --stdout is specified.
+If -o is specified, output files are created in <dir>.  Otherwise
+they are created in the current working directory.
 
-When -n is specified, instead of "[PATCH] Subject", the first
-line is formatted as "[PATCH N/M] Subject", unless you have only
-one patch.
+If -n is specified, instead of "[PATCH] Subject", the first line
+is formatted as "[PATCH n/m] Subject".
 
 
 OPTIONS
 -------
 -o|--output-directory <dir>::
        Use <dir> to store the resulting files, instead of the
-       current working directory.
+       current working directory. This option is ignored if
+       --stdout is specified.
 
 -n|--numbered::
        Name output in '[PATCH n/m]' format.
 
+--start-number <n>::
+       Start numbering the patches at <n> instead of 1.
+
 -k|--keep-subject::
        Do not strip/add '[PATCH]' from the first line of the
        commit log message.
@@ -48,17 +57,9 @@ OPTIONS
        Add `Signed-off-by:` line to the commit message, using
        the committer identity of yourself.
 
--c|--check::
-        Display suspicious lines in the patch.  The definition
-        of 'suspicious lines' is currently the lines that has
-        trailing whitespaces, and the lines whose indentation
-        has a SP character immediately followed by a TAB
-        character.
-
 --stdout::
-       This flag generates the mbox formatted output to the
-       standard output, instead of saving them into a file per
-       patch and implies --mbox.
+       Print all commits to the standard output in mbox format,
+       instead of creating a file for each one.
 
 --attach::
        Create attachments instead of inlining patches.
@@ -82,18 +83,18 @@ git-format-patch -k --stdout R1..R2 | git-am -3 -k::
        cherry-pick them.
 
 git-format-patch origin::
-       Extract commits the current branch accumulated since it
-       pulled from origin the last time in a patch form for
-       e-mail submission.
+       Extract all commits which are in the current branch but
+       not in the origin branch.  For each commit a separate file
+       is created in the current directory.
 
 git-format-patch -M -B origin::
-       The same as the previous one, except detect and handle
-       renames and complete rewrites intelligently to produce
-       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 patch well, so use it only when you know the
-       recipient uses git to apply your patch.
+       The same as the previous one.  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.
 
 
 See Also