git/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt

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

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


SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
'git-format-patch' [-n | -k] [-o <dir> | --stdout] [-s] [-c]
		 [--diff-options] <his> [<mine>]

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].

Each output file is numbered sequentially from 1, and uses the
first line of the commit message (massaged for pathname safety)
as the filename.

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.

When -n is specified, instead of "[PATCH] Subject", the first
line is formatted as "[PATCH N/M] Subject", unless you have only
one patch.


OPTIONS
-------
-o|--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.

-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.

-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.


EXAMPLES
--------

git-format-patch -k --stdout R1..R2 | git-am -3 -k::
	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 origin::
	Extract commits the current branch accumulated since it
	pulled from origin the last time in a patch form for
	e-mail submission.

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.


See Also
--------
gitlink:git-am[1], gitlink:git-send-email[1]


Author
------
Written by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>

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

GIT
---
Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite