Re: [RFC/PATCH] replace: add --graft option

[Michael Haggerty <mhagger@alum.mit.edu>]

On 05/18/2014 08:29 PM, Christian Couder wrote:
> The usage string for this option is:
> 
> git replace [-f] --graft <commit> [<parent>...]
> 
> First we create a new commit that is the same as <commit>
> except that its parents are [<parents>...]
> 
> Then we create a replace ref that replace <commit> with
> the commit we just created.
> 
> With this new option, it should be straightforward to
> convert grafts to replace refs, with something like:
> 
> cat .git/info/grafts | while read line
> do git replace --graft $line; done

I love the functionality; I think it's a great step towards making
grafts obsolete.

I haven't worked with Git's object reading/writing code much, but it
surprised me that you are editing the commit object basically as a
string, using hard-coded length constants and stuff.  It seems
error-prone, and we already have a commit parser.

Would it be possible to program this at a higher layer of abstraction
based on the commit object produced by the existing commit parser?
E.g., edit the object it produces, and write the result?  Or create a
new commit object out of the parsed commit object and write that?

It's great that you're working on this!

Michael

-- 
Michael Haggerty
mhagger@alum.mit.edu
http://softwareswirl.blogspot.com/