Re: On-branch topic description support?

Konstantin Ryabitsev [off-list ref] writes:

One thought that comes to mind -- perhaps it would be easier not to track the
special commit, but designate the branch as a special "proposed changes"
branch that could even "hide" the cover-letter merge commit (CLM) from most
operations. It's still a simple two-parent merge commit, so it can be
pushed/pulled with any existing remotes without requiring any changes on the
server side, but operations like adding a regular new commit to the tip of
the "proposed changes" branch would automatically move the merge commit so
it's back at the tip. This way "not sure what you're trying to do" situations
like this would be avoided:

  A--B--C--CLM--D--E
 /          /
Y-----------

Sorry, you lost me.  It is quite clear what the user is trying to do
in this case.  After preparing the initial cut of the topic that has
three commits, A, B, and C, and writing about them in CLM, there
were fix-ups and enhancements needed, which were implemented in D
and E.  The branch is waiting to be rebased into

   A--B--C--D--E--CLM'
  /               / 
 Y----------------

which gives you a chance to talk also about D and E in the updated
iteration of CLM.

Whether the "cover letter material in an empty commit at the tip" is
a single-parent commit or a needless merge, there will be fallouts,
such as "git branch --[no-]merged" becoming much less useful.  I am
sure there will be many others once we start seriously exploring
these approaches.