Re: "git format-patch" question

[Pádraig Brady]

On 12/11/2012 04:17 PM, Assaf Gordon wrote:
> Hello,
>
> (picking up from a different thread)
>
> Pádraig Brady wrote, On 12/06/2012 06:59 PM:
> > Generally it's best to get git to send email
> > or send around formats that git can apply directly,
> > which includes commit messages and references new files etc.
> > The handiest way to do that is:
> >
> >    git format-patch --stdout -1 | gzip > numfmt.5.patch.gz
>
> While working on my development branch, I commit small, specific changes, as so:
>   [PATCH 1/6] numfmt: a new command to format numbers
>   [PATCH 2/6] numfmt: change SI/IEC parameters to lowercase.
>   [PATCH 3/6] numfmt: separate debug/devdebug options.
>   [PATCH 4/6] numfmt: fix segfault when no numbers are found.
>   [PATCH 5/6] numfmt: improve --field, add more tests.
>   [PATCH 6/6] numfmt: add --header option.
>
> Each commit can be just few lines.
>
> When I send a patch the the mailing list, I want to send one 'nice' 'clean' 
> patch with my changes, compared to the master branch.
>
> When I use the following command:
>
>     git diff -p --stat master..HEAD > my.patch
>
> And all the changes (multiple commits) I made on my branch compared to master are 
> represented as one coherent change in "my.patch" - but this is not convenient 
> for you to apply.
>
>
> However, when I use
>
>      git format-patch --stdout -1 > my.patch
>
> Only the last commit appears.
>
> The alternative:
>
>      git format-patch --stdout master..HEAD > my.patch
>
> Generates a file which will cause multiple commits when imported with "git am" .
>
> When is the recommended way to generate a clean patch which will consolidate 
> all my small commits into one?
> Or is there another way?

No need to squash to a single diff.
It's best to use the method I suggested,
and then git can apply all the patches in turn.
Just s/-1/-6/ in the command I suggested.
We can squash to the appropriate number of commits,
before the final commit anyway.

If you really want to squash patches locally
to hide trivial adjustments etc. then:

  git rebase -i HEAD~6

Then s/pick/squash/ where needed, and save.

Also it's best for consumers of the patch set,
that you rebase your branch onto the latest master like:

  git checkout master
  git pull origin
  git checkout my_branch
  git rebase master

cheers,
Pádraig.