# Re: \[PATCH\] format-patch: use raw format for notes

- From: Sam Bobroff \<hidden\>
- Date: 2017-09-13 00:38:35 
- List: git
- Page: https://ratatoskr.run/git/2017/09/7734625
- Thread: https://ratatoskr.run/git/2017/08/7733287/t.md

```text
On Tue, Sep 12, 2017 at 10:33:37AM -0700, Stefan Beller wrote:
> On Sun, Sep 10, 2017 at 9:27 PM, Sam Bobroff [ref] wrote:
> 
> > (If only there were a way to set the coverletter text automatically as
> > well...)
> >
> 
> Checkout branch.<name>.description

AH! I had seen this section of the format-patch man page...

       --[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.

... but I didn't realize that it meant that it would insert the text
from branch.<name>.description into the cover letter. Perhaps there
should be a hint to point you to the branch.<name>.description section
of "git config"?

Also, it's not very useful for automating patch submission, as it
doesn't set the subject line or remove the "*** BLURB HERE ***" marker,
so it must still be post-processed.

(To be honest, I was surprised that it didn't use first line as the
subject and leave out the markers.)

Cheers,
Sam.

```