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
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ format.coverLetter::
103
104 format.commitListFormat::
105 When the `--cover-letter-format` option is not given, `format-patch`
106 - uses the value of this variable to decide how to format the title of
106 + uses the value of this variable to decide how to format the entry of
107 each commit. Defaults to `shortlog`.
108
109 format.outputDirectory::
Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc
+12 -12
@@ -319,21 +319,21 @@ feeding the result to `git send-email`.
319
320 --cover-letter::
321 --no-cover-letter::
322 - In addition to the patches, generate a cover letter file
323 - containing the branch description, shortlog and the overall diffstat. You can
324 - fill in a description in the file before sending it out.
322 + In addition to the patches, generate a cover letter file containing the
323 + branch description, commit list and the overall diffstat. You can fill
324 + in a description in the file before sending it out.
325
326 --commit-list-format=<format-spec>::
327 Specify the format in which to generate the commit list of the patch
328 - series. The accepted values for format-spec are `shortlog`, `modern` or a
329 - format-string prefixed with `log:`.
330 - e.g. `log: %s (%an)`
331 - The user is allowed to drop the prefix if the format-string contains a
332 - `%<placeholder>`.
333 - If not given, defaults to the `format.commitListFormat` configuration
334 - variable.
335 - This option implies the use of `--cover-letter` unless
336 - `--no-cover-letter` is given.
328 + series. The accepted values for format-spec are `shortlog`, `modern` or
329 + a format-string prefixed with `log:`. E.g. `log: %s (%an)`.
330 + `modern` is the same as `log:[%(count)/%(total)] %s`.
331 + The `log:` prefix can be omitted if the format-string has a `%` in it
332 + (expecting that it is part of `%<placeholder>`).
333 + Defaults to the `format.commitListFormat` configuration variable, if
334 + set, or `shortlog`.
335 + This option given from the command-line implies the use of
336 + `--cover-letter` unless `--no-cover-letter` is given.
337
338 --encode-email-headers::
339 --no-encode-email-headers::