Raw
1 git-replay(1)
2 =============
3
4 NAME
5 ----
6 git-replay - EXPERIMENTAL: Replay commits on a new base, works with bare repos too
7
8
9 SYNOPSIS
10 --------
11 [verse]
12 (EXPERIMENTAL!) 'git replay' ([--contained] --onto=<newbase> | --advance=<branch> | --revert=<branch>)
13 [--ref=<ref>] [--ref-action=<mode>] <revision-range>
14
15 DESCRIPTION
16 -----------
17
18 Takes a range of commits and replays them onto a new location. Leaves
19 the working tree and the index untouched. By default, updates the
20 relevant references using an atomic transaction (all refs update or
21 none). Use `--ref-action=print` to avoid automatic ref updates and
22 instead get update commands that can be piped to `git update-ref --stdin`
23 (see the <<output,OUTPUT>> section below).
24
25 THIS COMMAND IS EXPERIMENTAL. THE BEHAVIOR MAY CHANGE.
26
27 OPTIONS
28 -------
29
30 --onto=<newbase>::
31 Starting point at which to create the new commits. May be any
32 valid commit, and not just an existing branch name.
33 +
34 When `--onto` is specified, the branch(es) in the revision range will be
35 updated to point at the new commits, similar to the way `git rebase --update-refs`
36 updates multiple branches in the affected range.
37
38 --advance=<branch>::
39 Starting point at which to create the new commits; must be a
40 branch name.
41 +
42 The history is replayed on top of the <branch> and <branch> is updated to
43 point at the tip of the resulting history. This is different from `--onto`,
44 which uses the target only as a starting point without updating it.
45
46 --revert=<branch>::
47 Starting point at which to create the reverted commits; must be a
48 branch name.
49 +
50 When `--revert` is specified, the commits in the revision range are reverted
51 (their changes are undone) and the reverted commits are created on top of
52 <branch>. The <branch> is then updated to point at the new commits. This is
53 the same as running `git revert <revision-range>` but does not update the
54 working tree.
55 +
56 The commit messages follow `git revert` conventions: they are prefixed with
57 "Revert" and include "This reverts commit <hash>." When reverting a commit
58 whose message starts with "Revert", the new message uses "Reapply" instead.
59 Unlike cherry-pick which preserves the original author, revert commits use
60 the current user as the author, matching the behavior of `git revert`.
61 +
62 This option is mutually exclusive with `--onto` and `--advance`. It is also
63 incompatible with `--contained` (which is a modifier for `--onto` only).
64
65 --contained::
66 Update all branches that point at commits in
67 <revision-range>. Requires `--onto`.
68
69 --ref=<ref>::
70 Override which reference is updated with the result of the replay.
71 The ref must be fully qualified.
72 When used with `--onto`, the `<revision-range>` should have a
73 single tip and only the specified reference is updated instead of
74 inferring refs from the revision range.
75 When used with `--advance` or `--revert`, the specified reference is
76 updated instead of the branch given to those options.
77 This option is incompatible with `--contained`.
78
79 --ref-action[=<mode>]::
80 Control how references are updated. The mode can be:
81 +
82 --
83 ////
84 Expanded description list compared to 'replay.refAction'.
85 ////
86 `update`;; (default) Update refs directly using an atomic transaction.
87 All refs are updated or none are (all-or-nothing behavior).
88 `print`;; Output update-ref commands for pipeline use. This is the
89 traditional behavior where output can be piped to `git update-ref --stdin`.
90 --
91 +
92 The default mode can be configured via the `replay.refAction` configuration variable.
93
94 <revision-range>::
95 Range of commits to replay; see "Specifying Ranges" in
96 linkgit:git-rev-parse[1]. In `--advance=<branch>` or
97 `--revert=<branch>` mode, the range should have a single tip,
98 so that it's clear to which tip the advanced or reverted
99 <branch> should point. Any commits in the range whose changes
100 are already present in the branch the commits are being
101 replayed onto will be dropped.
102
103 :git-replay: 1
104 include::rev-list-options.adoc[]
105
106 [[output]]
107 OUTPUT
108 ------
109
110 By default, or with `--ref-action=update`, this command produces no output on
111 success, as refs are updated directly using an atomic transaction.
112
113 When using `--ref-action=print`, the output is usable as input to
114 `git update-ref --stdin`. It is of the form:
115
116 update refs/heads/branch1 ${NEW_branch1_HASH} ${OLD_branch1_HASH}
117 update refs/heads/branch2 ${NEW_branch2_HASH} ${OLD_branch2_HASH}
118 update refs/heads/branch3 ${NEW_branch3_HASH} ${OLD_branch3_HASH}
119
120 where the number of refs updated depends on the arguments passed and
121 the shape of the history being replayed. When using `--advance` or
122 `--revert`, the number of refs updated is always one, but for `--onto`,
123 it can be one or more (rebasing multiple branches simultaneously is
124 supported).
125
126 There is no stderr output on conflicts; see the <<exit-status,EXIT
127 STATUS>> section below.
128
129 [[exit-status]]
130 EXIT STATUS
131 -----------
132
133 For a successful, non-conflicted replay, the exit status is 0. When
134 the replay has conflicts, the exit status is 1. If the replay is not
135 able to complete (or start) due to some kind of error, the exit status
136 is something other than 0 or 1.
137
138 EXAMPLES
139 --------
140
141 To simply rebase `mybranch` onto `target`:
142
143 ------------
144 $ git replay --onto=target origin/main..mybranch
145 ------------
146
147 The refs are updated atomically and no output is produced on success.
148
149 To see what would be updated without actually updating:
150
151 ------------
152 $ git replay --ref-action=print --onto=target origin/main..mybranch
153 update refs/heads/mybranch ${NEW_mybranch_HASH} ${OLD_mybranch_HASH}
154 ------------
155
156 To cherry-pick the commits from mybranch onto target:
157
158 ------------
159 $ git replay --advance=target origin/main..mybranch
160 ------------
161
162 Note that the first two examples replay the exact same commits and on
163 top of the exact same new base, they only differ in that the first
164 updates mybranch to point at the new commits and the second updates
165 target to point at them.
166
167 What if you have a stack of branches, one depending upon another, and
168 you'd really like to rebase the whole set?
169
170 ------------
171 $ git replay --contained --onto=origin/main origin/main..tipbranch
172 ------------
173
174 All three branches (`branch1`, `branch2`, and `tipbranch`) are updated
175 atomically.
176
177 When calling `git replay`, one does not need to specify a range of
178 commits to replay using the syntax `A..B`; any range expression will
179 do:
180
181 ------------
182 $ git replay --onto=origin/main ^base branch1 branch2 branch3
183 ------------
184
185 This will simultaneously rebase `branch1`, `branch2`, and `branch3`,
186 all commits they have since `base`, playing them on top of
187 `origin/main`. These three branches may have commits on top of `base`
188 that they have in common, but that does not need to be the case.
189
190 To revert commits on a branch:
191
192 ------------
193 $ git replay --revert=main topic~2..topic
194 ------------
195
196 This reverts the last two commits from `topic`, creating revert commits on
197 top of `main`, and updates `main` to point at the result. This is useful when
198 commits from `topic` were previously merged or cherry-picked into `main` and
199 need to be undone.
200
201 NOTE: For reverting an entire merge request as a single commit (rather than
202 commit-by-commit), consider using `git merge-tree --merge-base $TIP HEAD $BASE`
203 which can avoid unnecessary merge conflicts.
204
205 To replay onto a specific commit while updating a different reference:
206
207 ------------
208 $ git replay --onto=112233 --ref=refs/heads/mybranch aabbcc..ddeeff
209 ------------
210
211 This replays the range `aabbcc..ddeeff` onto commit `112233` and updates
212 `refs/heads/mybranch` to point at the result. This can be useful when you want
213 to use bare commit IDs instead of branch names.
214
215 CONFIGURATION
216 -------------
217 :git-replay: 1
218 include::config/replay.adoc[]
219
220 GIT
221 ---
222 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite