* [GSoC PATCH] format-patch: write numbered list in cover letter
@ 2026-03-10 4:19 Pablo Sabater
2026-03-10 4:54 ` Junio C Hamano
0 siblings, 1 reply; 3+ messages in thread
From: Pablo Sabater @ 2026-03-10 4:19 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: git; +Cc: Pablo Sabater
Cover letter generated with 'git format-patch --cover-letter' uses
shortlog grouping commits by author. For a single author patch grouping
by author add useless information and makes it hard to follow patch
references: "second patch does x and y patch does z"
Replace the shortlog with a numbered list of patches:
[1/2]: first commit
[2/2]: second commit
shortlog grouping by author is lost, both for single author patches
and multiple author patches
suggested as #leftoverbits by Junio C Hamano at
https://lore.kernel.org/git/xmqqbjhjxp2d.fsf@gitster.g/
Signed-off-by: Pablo Sabater <pabloosabaterr@gmail.com>
---
I haven't tried to group by author on multiple authors patches to keep it simple
but I believe it's doable.
Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc | 5 ++--
builtin/log.c | 26 +++++++++----------
..._--stdout_--cover-letter_-n_initial..main^ | 5 ++--
t/t4014-format-patch.sh | 16 +++---------
4 files changed, 21 insertions(+), 31 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc b/Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc
index 36146006fa..420f05099c 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc
@@ -319,8 +319,9 @@ feeding the result to `git send-email`.
--cover-letter::
--no-cover-letter::
In addition to the patches, generate a cover letter file
- containing the branch description, shortlog and the overall diffstat. You can
- fill in a description in the file before sending it out.
+ containing the branch description, numbered [n/m] list of patches and
+ the overall diffstat. You can fill in a description in the file before
+ sending it out.
--encode-email-headers::
--no-encode-email-headers::
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index 7cb919bca9..002af4fa59 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -1332,7 +1332,6 @@ static void make_cover_letter(struct rev_info *rev, int use_separate_file,
const struct format_config *cfg)
{
const char *from;
- struct shortlog log;
struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
int i;
const char *encoding = "UTF-8";
@@ -1340,6 +1339,8 @@ static void make_cover_letter(struct rev_info *rev, int use_separate_file,
struct pretty_print_context pp = {0};
struct commit *head = list[0];
char *to_free = NULL;
+ struct strbuf oneline = STRBUF_INIT;
+ struct pretty_print_context ctx = {0};
if (!cmit_fmt_is_mail(rev->commit_format))
die(_("cover letter needs email format"));
@@ -1376,18 +1377,17 @@ static void make_cover_letter(struct rev_info *rev, int use_separate_file,
free(pp.after_subject);
strbuf_release(&sb);
- shortlog_init(&log);
- log.wrap_lines = 1;
- log.wrap = MAIL_DEFAULT_WRAP;
- log.in1 = 2;
- log.in2 = 4;
- log.file = rev->diffopt.file;
- log.groups = SHORTLOG_GROUP_AUTHOR;
- shortlog_finish_setup(&log);
- for (i = 0; i < nr; i++)
- shortlog_add_commit(&log, list[i]);
-
- shortlog_output(&log);
+ ctx.fmt = CMIT_FMT_USERFORMAT;
+ ctx.output_encoding = get_log_output_encoding();
+
+ for (i = nr - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+ strbuf_reset(&oneline);
+ repo_format_commit_message(the_repository, list[i], "%s", &oneline, &ctx);
+ fprintf(rev->diffopt.file, " [%d/%d]: %s\n", nr - i, nr, oneline.buf);
+ }
+ fprintf(rev->diffopt.file, "\n");
+
+ strbuf_release(&oneline);
/* We can only do diffstat with a unique reference point */
if (origin)
diff --git a/t/t4013/diff.format-patch_--stdout_--cover-letter_-n_initial..main^ b/t/t4013/diff.format-patch_--stdout_--cover-letter_-n_initial..main^
index 567f222198..ad78528e1e 100644
--- a/t/t4013/diff.format-patch_--stdout_--cover-letter_-n_initial..main^
+++ b/t/t4013/diff.format-patch_--stdout_--cover-letter_-n_initial..main^
@@ -6,9 +6,8 @@ Subject: [DIFFERENT_PREFIX 0/2] *** SUBJECT HERE ***
*** BLURB HERE ***
-A U Thor (2):
- Second
- Third
+ [1/2]: Second
+ [2/2]: Third
dir/sub | 4 ++++
file0 | 3 +++
diff --git a/t/t4014-format-patch.sh b/t/t4014-format-patch.sh
index 2135b65cee..3ffccb8ee8 100755
--- a/t/t4014-format-patch.sh
+++ b/t/t4014-format-patch.sh
@@ -693,20 +693,10 @@ test_expect_success 'cover-letter inherits diff options' '
grep "file => foo .* 0 *\$" 0000-cover-letter.patch
'
-cat >expect <<EOF
- This is an excessively long subject line for a message due to the
- habit some projects have of not having a short, one-line subject at
- the start of the commit message, but rather sticking a whole
- paragraph right at the start as the only thing in the commit
- message. It had better not become the filename for the patch.
- foo
-
-EOF
-
-test_expect_success 'shortlog of cover-letter wraps overly-long onelines' '
+test_expect_success 'cover-letter lists patches in numbered format' '
git format-patch --cover-letter -2 &&
- sed -e "1,/A U Thor/d" -e "/^\$/q" 0000-cover-letter.patch >output &&
- test_cmp expect output
+ grep "^ \[1/2\]:" 0000-cover-letter.patch &&
+ grep "^ \[2/2\]:" 0000-cover-letter.patch
'
cat >expect <<EOF
--
2.43.0
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2026-03-10 4:19 [GSoC PATCH] format-patch: write numbered list in cover letter Pablo Sabater
2026-03-10 4:54 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-03-10 15:05 ` Pablo
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