docs: fix --commit-list-format related entries
Documentation specifies that "git format-patch" would default to format.commitListFormat if --commit-list-format is not given, but doesn't specify the default if the format.commitListFormat is not set. The text for --cover-letter is also obsolete as the commit list can now be something other than a shortlog. Document to reflect changes. Signed-off-by: Mirko Faina <mroik@delayed.space> Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Mirko Faina committed
Mar 27, 2026 at 20:48 UTC
acee42d3e5a2855cfa3b33baf3728f34fe6fb33f
2 files changed
+13
-13
Documentation/config/format.adoc
+1
-1
index ef1ed1d250..dbd186290b 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/format.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/config/format.adoc
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ format.coverLetter::
format.commitListFormat::
When the `--cover-letter-format` option is not given, `format-patch`
- uses the value of this variable to decide how to format the title of
+ uses the value of this variable to decide how to format the entry of
each commit. Defaults to `shortlog`.
format.outputDirectory::
Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc
+12
-12
index c52dbcc170..cbbb292cb5 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc
@@ -319,21 +319,21 @@ 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.
+ In addition to the patches, generate a cover letter file containing the
+ branch description, commit list and the overall diffstat. You can fill
+ in a description in the file before sending it out.
--commit-list-format=<format-spec>::
Specify the format in which to generate the commit list of the patch
- series. The accepted values for format-spec are `shortlog`, `modern` or a
- format-string prefixed with `log:`.
- e.g. `log: %s (%an)`
- The user is allowed to drop the prefix if the format-string contains a
- `%<placeholder>`.
- If not given, defaults to the `format.commitListFormat` configuration
- variable.
- This option implies the use of `--cover-letter` unless
- `--no-cover-letter` is given.
+ series. The accepted values for format-spec are `shortlog`, `modern` or
+ a format-string prefixed with `log:`. E.g. `log: %s (%an)`.
+ `modern` is the same as `log:[%(count)/%(total)] %s`.
+ The `log:` prefix can be omitted if the format-string has a `%` in it
+ (expecting that it is part of `%<placeholder>`).
+ Defaults to the `format.commitListFormat` configuration variable, if
+ set, or `shortlog`.
+ This option given from the command-line implies the use of
+ `--cover-letter` unless `--no-cover-letter` is given.
--encode-email-headers::
--no-encode-email-headers::