Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] commit: reword the empty-commit rebase errors

[Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com>]

Hi Elijah

On 27/08/2026 02:02, Elijah Newren via GitGitGadget wrote:
> From: Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com>
> 
> When a rebase applies a commit that becomes empty, it stops and asks the
> user to decide whether to keep it or drop it.  HEAD still points at the
> previously-applied commit at that point, so either amending or creating
> a partial commit is refused, with one of the following messages:
> 
>      You are in the middle of a rebase -- cannot amend.
>      cannot do a partial commit during a rebase.
> 
> Neither message hints that the real problem is a commit that became
> empty, and "during a rebase" is overly broad besides -- amending and
> partial commits are fine at an `edit` or `break` stop.  Reword both to
> describe the actual situation.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com>
> ---
>   builtin/commit.c              | 4 ++--
>   t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh | 4 ++--
>   2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
> index 28f6174503..0d908d72bb 100644
> --- a/builtin/commit.c
> +++ b/builtin/commit.c
> @@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ static const char *prepare_index(const char **argv, const char *prefix,
>   		else if (is_from_cherry_pick(whence))
>   			die(_("cannot do a partial commit during a cherry-pick."));
>   		else if (is_from_rebase(whence))
> -			die(_("cannot do a partial commit during a rebase."));
> +			die(_("cannot do a partial commit while resolving a commit that became empty."));

"while committing a commit that became empty" would be clearer to me, 
but I what you have is definitely an improvement on the existing message.

Thanks

Phillip

>   	}
>   
>   	if (list_paths(&partial, !current_head ? NULL : "HEAD", &pathspec))
> @@ -1334,7 +1334,7 @@ static int parse_and_validate_options(int argc, const char *argv[],
>   		else if (is_from_cherry_pick(whence))
>   			die(_("You are in the middle of a cherry-pick -- cannot amend."));
>   		else if (whence == FROM_REBASE_PICK)
> -			die(_("You are in the middle of a rebase -- cannot amend."));
> +			die(_("You are resolving a commit that became empty -- cannot amend."));
>   	}
>   	if (fixup_message && squash_message)
>   		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), "--squash", "--fixup");
> diff --git a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
> index ff11abb2f2..1e78dbfd90 100755
> --- a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
> +++ b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
> @@ -1868,7 +1868,7 @@ test_expect_success 'correct error message for partial commit after empty pick'
>   	) &&
>   	echo x >file1 &&
>   	test_must_fail git commit file1 2>err &&
> -	test_grep "cannot do a partial commit during a rebase." err
> +	test_grep "cannot do a partial commit while resolving a commit that became empty." err
>   '
>   
>   test_expect_success 'correct error message for commit --amend after empty pick' '
> @@ -1881,7 +1881,7 @@ test_expect_success 'correct error message for commit --amend after empty pick'
>   	) &&
>   	echo x>file1 &&
>   	test_must_fail git commit -a --amend 2>err &&
> -	test_grep "middle of a rebase -- cannot amend." err
> +	test_grep "resolving a commit that became empty -- cannot amend." err
>   '
>   
>   test_expect_success 'todo has correct onto hash' '