Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] commit: reword the empty-commit rebase errors

On Thu, Aug 27, 2026 at 9:55 AM Junio C Hamano [off-list ref] wrote:

Phillip Wood [off-list ref] writes:

quoted

quoted

@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ static const char *prepare_index(const char **argv, const char *prefix,
             else if (is_from_cherry_pick(whence))
                     die(_("cannot do a partial commit during a cherry-pick."));
             else if (is_from_rebase(whence))
-                    die(_("cannot do a partial commit during a rebase."));
+                    die(_("cannot do a partial commit while resolving a commit that became empty."));

"while committing a commit that became empty" would be clearer to me,
but I what you have is definitely an improvement on the existing message.

A stupid question, but wouldn't a partial commit of an empty commit
still an empty commit?  IOW, why do we need to reject a partial
commit while committing a commit that became empty?

Not stupid at all.  After some digging...

Originally, we just checked for doing partial commit during merges or
cherry-picks.  Then in commit 430b75f7209c (commit: give correct
advice for empty commit during a rebase, 2019-12-06) it was noted that
the "cannot do a partial commit during a cherry-pick" message was also
printed when rebasing a commit that became empty.  Noting the
misleading message, rather than drop the check in that case (likely an
oversight), that commit opted to make the message print the actual
operation that was in progress.

I can fix it in v3, with another preparatory patch.