Re: [PATCH] add new options to git format-patch: --cover-subject and --cover-blurb

[Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>]

Junio C Hamano wrote:
> Larry D'Anna <larry@elder-gods.org> writes:
 
>> 1) make your branch
>>
>> 2) git format-patch --cover-letter
>>
>> 3) edit the cover letter
>>
>> 3) review the series, and realize you need to fix something, fix it.
>
> Hmph, this begs a natural question: why didn't you review and realize that
> in step (1)?

One answer: writing a cover letter forces one to reflect a little.
Perhaps that is why the cover letter and review share step 3. ;-)

> It might be sufficient for format-patch to notice a 0000-cover file that
> is already there, read the subject and blurb part and carry that forward,
> instead of unconditionally writing "*** SUBJECT HERE ***" and stuff.  That
> way, the user does not have to prepare a separate file before running
> format-patch.

FWIW I think this sounds sane and would be happy to see this feature.

Jonathan

> By scanning from the bottom of the existing 0000-cover file, skipping
> diffstat part (easy to spot with regexp) and then skip backwards a block
> of text whose lines are one of:
> 
>  (1) two space indented---that's one-line-per-commit;
> 
>  (2) empty line---separator; or
> 
>  (3) unindented line that ends with '(' number ')' ':'---the author.
> 
> The remainder would be the BLURB.  And you know it is much easier to find
> where the Subject: is ;-)