[PATCH] git-shortlog.txt: improve documentation about .mailmap files

Subsystems: documentation, the rest

DORMANTno replies

2 messages, 1 author, 2016-06-15 · open the first message on its own page

[PATCH] git-shortlog.txt: improve documentation about .mailmap files

From: Adeodato Simó <hidden>
Date: 2016-06-15 22:45:49

The previous .mailmap example made it seem like .mailmap files are only
useful for commits with a wrong address for an author, when they are about
fixing the real name. Explained this better in the text, and replaced the
existing example with a new one that hopefully makes things clearer.
---
 Documentation/git-shortlog.txt |   31 ++++++++++++++++++++++++-------
 1 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/git-shortlog.txt b/Documentation/git-shortlog.txt
index 7ccf31c..69e10a4 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-shortlog.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-shortlog.txt
@@ -48,15 +48,32 @@ OPTIONS
 FILES
 -----
 
-If the file `.mailmap` exists, it will be used for mapping author
-email addresses to a real author name. One mapping per line, first
-the author name followed by the email address enclosed by
-'<' and '>'. Use hash '#' for comments. Example:
+If a file `.mailmap` exists in the toplevel directory of the repository,
+it will be used for mapping author email addresses to a canonical real
+name. This can be used to coalesce together commits by the same person
+where their name was spelled differently (whether with the same email
+address or not).
+
+The format of the file is one mapping per line, first the desired author
+name followed by the email address enclosed by '<' and '>'. Use hash '#'
+for comments. For example, if your history contains commits by these
+committers:
+
+------------
+Author: Joe Developer <joe@random.com>
+Author: Joe R. Developer <joe@random.com>
+Author: Jane Doe <jane@the-does.name>
+Author: Jane Doe <jane@laptop.(none)>
+Author: Jane D. <jane@desktop.(none)>
+------------
+
+Then a proper `.mailmap` file would be:
 
 ------------
-# Keep alphabetized
-Adam Morrow <adam@localhost.localdomain>
-Eve Jones <eve@laptop.(none)>
+# Note how we don't need an entry for <jane@laptop.(none)>, because the
+# real name of that author is correct already, and coalesced directly.
+Jane Doe <jane@desktop.(none)>
+Joe R. Developer <joe@random.com>
 ------------
 
 Author
-- 
1.6.1

[PATCH] git-shortlog.txt: improve documentation about .mailmap files

From: Adeodato Simó <hidden>
Date: 2016-06-15 22:45:49

The previous .mailmap example made it seem like .mailmap files are only
useful for commits with a wrong address for an author, when they are about
fixing the real name. Explained this better in the text, and replaced the
existing example with a new one that hopefully makes things clearer.

Signed-off-by: Adeodato Simó <redacted>
---

    Now with a Signed-off-by line. Has there even been talk of a 
    commit.signoff configuration variable to always add a S-o-b line? 
    This could allow to enable it on a per-project basis, which would be
    cool.

 Documentation/git-shortlog.txt |   31 ++++++++++++++++++++++++-------
 1 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/git-shortlog.txt b/Documentation/git-shortlog.txt
index 7ccf31c..69e10a4 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-shortlog.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-shortlog.txt
@@ -48,15 +48,32 @@ OPTIONS
 FILES
 -----
 
-If the file `.mailmap` exists, it will be used for mapping author
-email addresses to a real author name. One mapping per line, first
-the author name followed by the email address enclosed by
-'<' and '>'. Use hash '#' for comments. Example:
+If a file `.mailmap` exists in the toplevel directory of the repository,
+it will be used for mapping author email addresses to a canonical real
+name. This can be used to coalesce together commits by the same person
+where their name was spelled differently (whether with the same email
+address or not).
+
+The format of the file is one mapping per line, first the desired author
+name followed by the email address enclosed by '<' and '>'. Use hash '#'
+for comments. For example, if your history contains commits by these
+committers:
+
+------------
+Author: Joe Developer <joe@random.com>
+Author: Joe R. Developer <joe@random.com>
+Author: Jane Doe <jane@the-does.name>
+Author: Jane Doe <jane@laptop.(none)>
+Author: Jane D. <jane@desktop.(none)>
+------------
+
+Then a proper `.mailmap` file would be:
 
 ------------
-# Keep alphabetized
-Adam Morrow <adam@localhost.localdomain>
-Eve Jones <eve@laptop.(none)>
+# Note how we don't need an entry for <jane@laptop.(none)>, because the
+# real name of that author is correct already, and coalesced directly.
+Jane Doe <jane@desktop.(none)>
+Joe R. Developer <joe@random.com>
 ------------
 
 Author
-- 
1.6.1
Keyboard shortcuts
hback out one level
jnext message in thread
kprevious message in thread
ldrill in
Escclose help / fold thread tree
?toggle this help