Re: [PATCH 1/6] SubmittingPatches: clarify expected structure of commit log message

[Weijie Yuan <wy@wyuan.org>]

On Sun, Jul 12, 2026 at 09:07:32AM -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> Weijie Yuan <wy@wyuan.org> writes:
> 
> >> +2. **Solution (The Approach)**:
> >> +3. **Command (The Instruction)**:
> >> +   [[imperative-mood]]
> >> +   Command the codebase to change.  Write this in the **imperative
> >> +   mood** (e.g., "make xyzzy do frotz" instead of "This patch makes
> >> +   xyzzy do..." or "I changed xyzzy..."), as if you are giving orders
> >> +   to the codebase to change its behavior.
> >
> > Stopped and confused for a moment. I am not sure that "Command" belongs
> > alongside "Observation" and "Solution" as a third part of the message.
> > Sometimes the command still describes the solution. In other words,
> > Solution and Command seem not to be logically completely separable.
> 
> I do not think "Command the codebase to change" is a good phrasing.
> It would have been better to highlight the distinction between the
> design of the solution (approach) and the implementation.  Perhaps
> 
>     2. Design (The Approach)
> 
>     3. Implementation (The Changes)
>     [[imperative-mood]]
>        Describe how the change is implemented.  Write this in the
>        imperative mood. ...
> 
> or something?

Yeah, that is much clearer. I'm reading your draft in your reply to
Michael, seems good.

> >> +* **The Body**:
> >> +  * Explain the *why* rather than repeating the *what* of the diff.
> >> +  * Try to make the explanation self-contained.  Avoid relying on
> >> +    external URLs (like mailing list archives) as the sole
> >> +    explanation; summarize the relevant points of the discussion
> >> +    instead.
> >> +  * Wrap lines to 68-72 columns.
> >
> > MyFirstContribution:
> >   This commit message is intentionally formatted to 72 columns per line
> >
> > Should we update both?
> 
> Perhaps just to stick to "around 70".
> 
> I do not think the defaults in various editors matter.
> 
> The "wrap around 70 columns" rule exists so that in a text based
> email exchange, where you lose two columns to leading "> " when
> quoted, and an additional column with each subsequent reply, the
> lines will still fit on standard 80-column terminals.

Yes, got it. I just want to say that I often see 72 columns, but I
haven't seen 68 very often. (maybe I'm too young ;-)

Thanks.