history: re-edit a squash with every message
By default "git history squash" reuses the oldest commit's message, or the replacement body from an amend! commit targeting it. When --reedit-message is given it only reopened that selected message, so the messages of the other commits in the range were lost. Gather the message of every commit in the range and build the same editor template that "git rebase -i --autosquash" shows for a squash, reusing add_squash_combination_header(), add_squash_message_header() and squash_subject_comment_len(). Feed the range through todo_list_rearrange_squash() so that each fixup!, squash! or amend! is grouped under the commit it targets rather than shown in commit order, exactly as autosquash would arrange them. Only the message text differs, the changes are always folded in. A fixup! message is commented out in full under a "will be skipped" header, a squash! keeps its body with only the marker subject commented, and an amend! replaces its target's message unless a squash! already folded into that target, in which case it behaves like a squash!. Signed-off-by: Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com> Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Harald Nordgren committed
Jul 20, 2026 at 08:27 UTC
9a8107a378f4a7b1415c5b0e1e9f0fbcb3244bfe
3 files changed
+321
-6
Documentation/git-history.adoc
+16
-6
@@ -134,11 +134,12 @@ already on `topic`. Rev-list options may also be given, but any that would
134
change how the range is walked are overridden with a warning.
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+
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The oldest commit's message is preserved by default, except that an `amend!`
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-commit targeting it replaces its message. Specify `--reedit-message` to edit
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-the resulting message. A merge commit inside the range is folded like any
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-other, but the range must have a single base, so a range that reaches more
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-than one entry point (for example a side branch that forked before the range
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-and was later merged into it) is rejected.
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+commit targeting it replaces its message. With `--reedit-message`, an editor
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+opens pre-filled with the messages of all the folded commits so you can
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+combine them. A merge commit inside the range is folded like any other, but
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+the range must have a single base, so a range that reaches more than one entry
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+point (for example a side branch that forked before the range and was later
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+merged into it) is rejected.
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+
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A `fixup!`, `squash!`, or `amend!` commit is refused unless the commit it
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targets is also in the range, so the fold does not silently absorb a
@@ -146,6 +147,14 @@ marker meant for a commit outside it. As an exception, a range made up entirely
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of markers for one target is combined into a single commit, keeping the last
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`amend!` message if there is one.
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+
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+With `--reedit-message` the template mirrors `git rebase -i --autosquash`:
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+each `fixup!`, `squash!`, or `amend!` is grouped under the commit it
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+targets rather than shown in commit order. A `fixup!` message is dropped
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+(commented out in full), a `squash!` keeps its body with only the marker
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+subject commented, and an `amend!` replaces its target's message, unless
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+a `squash!` folded into that target first, in which case it keeps its
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+body like a `squash!`.
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++
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A branch or tag that points at a commit inside the range would be left
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dangling once those commits are folded away, so with the default
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`--update-refs=branches` the command refuses. Rerun with
@@ -162,7 +171,8 @@ OPTIONS
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ref updates is generally safe.
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`--reedit-message`::
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- Open an editor to modify the rewritten commit's message.
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+ Open an editor to modify the rewritten commit's message. For `squash`
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+ the editor is pre-filled with the messages of all the folded commits.
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`--empty=(drop|keep|abort)`::
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Control what happens when a commit becomes empty as a result of the
builtin/history.c
+104
@@ -1255,6 +1255,102 @@ static int find_interior_ref(const struct reference *ref, void *cb_data)
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return 0;
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}
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+static bool amend_replaces_target(struct todo_list *todo, int target)
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+{
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+ int i;
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+
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+ for (i = target + 1; i < todo->nr &&
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+ todo->items[i].command != TODO_PICK; i++) {
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+ if (todo->items[i].command == TODO_SQUASH)
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+ return false;
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+ if (todo->items[i].flags & TODO_REPLACE_FIXUP_MSG)
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+ return true;
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+ }
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+ return false;
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+}
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+
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+static int build_squash_message(struct repository *repo,
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+ struct commit *base,
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+ struct commit *tip,
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+ struct strbuf *out)
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+{
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+ struct rev_info revs;
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+ struct commit *commit;
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+ struct strvec args = STRVEC_INIT;
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+ struct todo_list todo = TODO_LIST_INIT;
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+ struct replay_opts opts = REPLAY_OPTS_INIT;
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+ int i, nr_commits, ret;
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+
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+ repo_init_revisions(repo, &revs, NULL);
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+ strvec_push(&args, "ignored");
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+ strvec_push(&args, "--reverse");
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+ strvec_push(&args, "--topo-order");
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+ strvec_pushf(&args, "%s..%s", oid_to_hex(&base->object.oid),
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+ oid_to_hex(&tip->object.oid));
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+ setup_revisions_from_strvec(&args, &revs, NULL);
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+
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+ if (prepare_revision_walk(&revs) < 0) {
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+ ret = error(_("error preparing revisions"));
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+ goto out;
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+ }
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+
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+ while ((commit = get_revision(&revs)))
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+ strbuf_addf(&todo.buf, "pick %s\n",
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+ oid_to_hex(&commit->object.oid));
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+
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+ if (todo_list_parse_insn_buffer(repo, &opts, todo.buf.buf, &todo) < 0 ||
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+ todo_list_rearrange_squash(&todo) < 0) {
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+ ret = error(_("could not prepare the squash message"));
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+ goto out;
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+ }
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+
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+ nr_commits = todo.nr;
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+ for (i = 0; i < nr_commits; i++) {
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+ struct todo_item *item = &todo.items[i];
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+ const char *message, *body;
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+ size_t commented_len;
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+ bool skip, squashing;
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+
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+ squashing = item->command == TODO_SQUASH ||
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+ (item->flags & TODO_REPLACE_FIXUP_MSG);
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+ if (item->command == TODO_PICK)
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+ skip = amend_replaces_target(&todo, i);
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+ else
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+ skip = !squashing;
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+
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+ message = repo_logmsg_reencode(repo, item->commit, NULL, NULL);
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+ find_commit_subject(message, &body);
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+
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+ if (skip)
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+ commented_len = strlen(body);
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+ else if (squashing)
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+ commented_len = squash_subject_comment_len(body, 1);
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+ else
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+ commented_len = 0;
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+
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+ if (!i)
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+ add_squash_combination_header(out, nr_commits);
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+ strbuf_addch(out, '\n');
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+ add_squash_message_header(out, i + 1, skip);
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+ strbuf_addstr(out, "\n\n");
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+ strbuf_add_commented_lines(out, body, commented_len, comment_line_str);
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+ strbuf_addstr(out, body + commented_len);
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+ strbuf_complete_line(out);
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+
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+ repo_unuse_commit_buffer(repo, item->commit, message);
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+ }
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+
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+ ret = 0;
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+
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+out:
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+ todo_list_release(&todo);
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+ replay_opts_release(&opts);
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+ reset_revision_walk();
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+ release_revisions(&revs);
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+ strvec_clear(&args);
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+ return ret;
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+}
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+
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static int cmd_history_squash(int argc,
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const char **argv,
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const char *prefix,
@@ -1338,6 +1434,14 @@ static int cmd_history_squash(int argc,
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}
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}
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+ if (flags & COMMIT_TREE_EDIT_MESSAGE) {
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+ strbuf_reset(&message);
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+ ret = build_squash_message(repo, base, tip, &message);
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+ if (ret < 0)
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+ goto out;
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+ message_template = message.buf;
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+ }
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+
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ret = setup_revwalk(repo, action, tip, &revs);
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if (ret < 0)
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goto out;
t/t3455-history-squash.sh
+201
@@ -271,6 +271,207 @@ test_expect_success 'preserves authorship of the oldest commit' '
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test_cmp expect actual
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'
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+test_expect_success '--reedit-message offers every folded-in message' '
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+ git reset --hard start &&
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+ stage_file b &&
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+ git commit -m "re-one subject" -m "re-one body line" &&
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+ test_commit --no-tag re-two file c &&
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+ test_commit re-three file d &&
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+
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+ write_script editor <<-\EOF &&
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+ cat "$1" >edited &&
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+ echo combined >"$1"
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+ EOF
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+ test_set_editor "$(pwd)/editor" &&
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+ git history squash --reedit-message start.. &&
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+
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+ cat >expect <<-EOF &&
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+ # This is a combination of 3 commits.
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+ # This is the 1st commit message:
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+
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+ re-one subject
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+
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+ re-one body line
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+
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+ # This is the commit message #2:
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+
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+ re-two
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+
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+ # This is the commit message #3:
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+
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+ re-three
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+
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+ # Please enter the commit message for the squash changes. Lines starting
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+ # with ${SQ}#${SQ} will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
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+ # Changes to be committed:
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+ # modified: file
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+ #
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+ EOF
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+ test_cmp expect edited &&
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+ check_log_subjects -1 <<-\EOF
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+ combined
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+ EOF
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+'
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+
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+test_expect_success '--reedit-message handles fixup!, squash! and amend! like rebase' '
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+ git reset --hard start &&
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+ test_commit --no-tag mark-base file b &&
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+ stage_file c &&
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+ commit_with_message "fixup! mark-base\n\nfixup body\n" &&
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+ stage_file d &&
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+ commit_with_message "squash! mark-base\n\nsquash remark\n" &&
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+ stage_file e &&
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+ commit_with_message "amend! mark-base\n\namended message\n" &&
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+
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+ write_script editor <<-\EOF &&
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+ cat "$1" >edited
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+ EOF
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+ test_set_editor "$(pwd)/editor" &&
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+ git history squash --reedit-message start.. &&
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+
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+ cat >expect <<-EOF &&
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+ # This is a combination of 4 commits.
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+ # This is the 1st commit message:
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+
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+ mark-base
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+
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+ # The commit message #2 will be skipped:
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+
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+ # fixup! mark-base
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+ #
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+ # fixup body
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+
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+ # This is the commit message #3:
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+
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+ # squash! mark-base
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+
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+ squash remark
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+
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+ # This is the commit message #4:
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+
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+ # amend! mark-base
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+
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+ amended message
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+
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+ # Please enter the commit message for the squash changes. Lines starting
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+ # with ${SQ}#${SQ} will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
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+ # Changes to be committed:
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+ # modified: file
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+ #
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+ EOF
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+ test_cmp expect edited &&
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+ check_log_messages -1 <<-\EOF
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+ mark-base
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+
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+ squash remark
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+
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+ amended message
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+
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+ EOF
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+'
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+
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+test_expect_success '--reedit-message groups fixups under their targets' '
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+ git reset --hard start &&
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+ test_commit --no-tag alpha file a1 &&
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+ test_commit --no-tag beta file b1 &&
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+ stage_file a2 &&
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+ commit_with_message "fixup! alpha\n" &&
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+ stage_file b2 &&
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+ commit_with_message "fixup! beta\n" &&
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+
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+ write_script editor <<-\EOF &&
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+ cat "$1" >edited
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+ EOF
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+ test_set_editor "$(pwd)/editor" &&
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+ git history squash --reedit-message start.. &&
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+
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+ cat >expect <<-EOF &&
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+ # This is a combination of 4 commits.
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+ # This is the 1st commit message:
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+
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+ alpha
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+
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+ # The commit message #2 will be skipped:
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+
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+ # fixup! alpha
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+
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+ # This is the commit message #3:
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+
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+ beta
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+
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+ # The commit message #4 will be skipped:
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+
404
+ # fixup! beta
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+
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+ # Please enter the commit message for the squash changes. Lines starting
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+ # with ${SQ}#${SQ} will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
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+ # Changes to be committed:
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+ # modified: file
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+ #
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+ EOF
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+ test_cmp expect edited
413
+'
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+
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+test_expect_success '--reedit-message lets amend! replace its target message' '
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+ git reset --hard start &&
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+ test_commit --no-tag mark-base file b &&
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+ stage_file c &&
419
+ commit_with_message "amend! mark-base\n\namended message\n" &&
420
+ stage_file d &&
421
+ commit_with_message "squash! mark-base\n\nsquash remark\n" &&
422
+
423
+ write_script editor <<-\EOF &&
424
+ cat "$1" >edited
425
+ EOF
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+ test_set_editor "$(pwd)/editor" &&
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+ git history squash --reedit-message start.. &&
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+
429
+ cat >expect <<-EOF &&
430
+ # This is a combination of 3 commits.
431
+ # The 1st commit message will be skipped:
432
+
433
+ # mark-base
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+
435
+ # This is the commit message #2:
436
+
437
+ # amend! mark-base
438
+
439
+ amended message
440
+
441
+ # This is the commit message #3:
442
+
443
+ # squash! mark-base
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+
445
+ squash remark
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+
447
+ # Please enter the commit message for the squash changes. Lines starting
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+ # with ${SQ}#${SQ} will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
449
+ # Changes to be committed:
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+ # modified: file
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+ #
452
+ EOF
453
+ test_cmp expect edited &&
454
+ check_log_messages -1 <<-\EOF
455
+ amended message
456
+
457
+ squash remark
458
+
459
+ EOF
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+'
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+
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+test_expect_success '--reedit-message aborts on an empty message' '
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+ git reset --hard three &&
464
+ head_before=$(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
465
+
466
+ write_script editor <<-\EOF &&
467
+ >"$1"
468
+ EOF
469
+ test_set_editor "$(pwd)/editor" &&
470
+ test_must_fail git history squash --reedit-message start.. &&
471
+
472
+ test_cmp_rev "$head_before" HEAD
473
+'
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+
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test_expect_success '--update-refs=head only moves HEAD' '
476
git reset --hard three &&
477
git branch -f other HEAD &&