From: "Omri Sarig via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
To: git@vger.kernel.org
Cc: "D. Ben Knoble" <ben.knoble@gmail.com>,
Omri Sarig <omri.sarig13@gmail.com>,
Omri Sarig <omri.sarig13@gmail.com>
Subject: [PATCH v4] doc: add information regarding external commands
Date: Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:03:34 +0000 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <pull.2220.v4.git.git.1772636614850.gitgitgadget@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <pull.2220.v3.git.git.1772559813151.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
From: Omri Sarig <omri.sarig13@gmail.com>
Git supports running external commands in the user's PATH as if they
were built-in commands (see execv_dashed_external in git.c).
This feature was not fully documented in Git's user-facing
documentation.
Add a short documentation to describe how PATH is used to find a custom
subcommand.
Signed-off-by: Omri Sarig <omri.sarig13@gmail.com>
---
doc: Add information regarding external commands
* Patchset V2 have spaces instead of tabs in one of the lines, it is
fixed in patchset V3.
Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-git-2220%2Fomrisarig13%2Fexternal-commands-documentation-v4
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-git-2220/omrisarig13/external-commands-documentation-v4
Pull-Request: https://github.com/git/git/pull/2220
Range-diff vs v3:
1: f90ad791d5 ! 1: 516ad65d8d doc: add information regarding external commands
@@ Commit message
This feature was not fully documented in Git's user-facing
documentation.
- This commit adds a short documentation of this feature, making it easier
- for users to discover and use.
+
+ Add a short documentation to describe how PATH is used to find a custom
+ subcommand.
Signed-off-by: Omri Sarig <omri.sarig13@gmail.com>
@@ Documentation/git.adoc: System
+ When a user runs 'git <command>' that is not part of the core Git programs
+ (installed in GIT_EXEC_PATH), 'git-<command>' that is runnable by the user
+ in a directory on `$PATH` is invoked. Argument passed after the command
-+ name are passed as-is to the runnable program. These commands precedes
-+ alias expansion.
++ name are passed as-is to the program. To execute `git <foo>`, `git` finds
++ command `<foo>` (either a core Git program found in 'GIT_EXEC_PATH', or a
++ custom one in a directory on 'PATH'), before trying `foo` as an alias.
+
The Git Repository
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Documentation/git.adoc | 8 ++++++++
1 file changed, 8 insertions(+)
diff --git a/Documentation/git.adoc b/Documentation/git.adoc
index ce099e78b8..9c2a8978c7 100644
--- a/Documentation/git.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git.adoc
@@ -487,6 +487,14 @@ System
`$HOMEDRIVE$HOMEPATH` if both `$HOMEDRIVE` and `$HOMEPATH` exist;
otherwise `$USERPROFILE` if `$USERPROFILE` exists.
+`PATH`::
+ When a user runs 'git <command>' that is not part of the core Git programs
+ (installed in GIT_EXEC_PATH), 'git-<command>' that is runnable by the user
+ in a directory on `$PATH` is invoked. Argument passed after the command
+ name are passed as-is to the program. To execute `git <foo>`, `git` finds
+ command `<foo>` (either a core Git program found in 'GIT_EXEC_PATH', or a
+ custom one in a directory on 'PATH'), before trying `foo` as an alias.
+
The Git Repository
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These environment variables apply to 'all' core Git commands. Nb: it
base-commit: 2cc71917514657b93014134350864f4849edfc83
--
gitgitgadget
prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-03-04 15:03 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 10+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-03-02 19:31 [PATCH] doc: add information regarding external commands Omri Sarig via GitGitGadget
2026-03-02 22:56 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-03-03 17:07 ` Omri Sarig
2026-03-03 17:12 ` [PATCH v2] " Omri Sarig via GitGitGadget
2026-03-03 17:43 ` [PATCH v3] " Omri Sarig via GitGitGadget
2026-03-03 18:40 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-03-03 18:48 ` D. Ben Knoble
2026-03-03 20:11 ` Omri Sarig
2026-03-03 20:36 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-03-04 15:03 ` Omri Sarig via GitGitGadget [this message]
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