Documentation/git-notes.txt

   1 git-notes(1)
   2 ============
   3
   4 NAME
   5 ----
   6 git-notes - Add or inspect object notes
   7
   8 SYNOPSIS
   9 --------
  10 [verse]
  11 'git notes' [list [<object>]]
  12 'git notes' add [-f] [--allow-empty] [--[no-]separator | --separator=<paragraph-break>] [--[no-]stripspace] [-F <file> | -m <msg> | (-c | -C) <object>] [<object>]
  13 'git notes' copy [-f] ( --stdin | <from-object> [<to-object>] )
  14 'git notes' append [--allow-empty] [--[no-]separator | --separator=<paragraph-break>] [--[no-]stripspace] [-F <file> | -m <msg> | (-c | -C) <object>] [<object>]
  15 'git notes' edit [--allow-empty] [<object>] [--[no-]stripspace]
  16 'git notes' show [<object>]
  17 'git notes' merge [-v | -q] [-s <strategy> ] <notes-ref>
  18 'git notes' merge --commit [-v | -q]
  19 'git notes' merge --abort [-v | -q]
  20 'git notes' remove [--ignore-missing] [--stdin] [<object>...]
  21 'git notes' prune [-n] [-v]
  22 'git notes' get-ref
  23
  24
  25 DESCRIPTION
  26 -----------
  27 Adds, removes, or reads notes attached to objects, without touching
  28 the objects themselves.
  29
  30 By default, notes are saved to and read from `refs/notes/commits`, but
  31 this default can be overridden.  See the OPTIONS, CONFIGURATION, and
  32 ENVIRONMENT sections below.  If this ref does not exist, it will be
  33 quietly created when it is first needed to store a note.
  34
  35 A typical use of notes is to supplement a commit message without
  36 changing the commit itself. Notes can be shown by 'git log' along with
  37 the original commit message. To distinguish these notes from the
  38 message stored in the commit object, the notes are indented like the
  39 message, after an unindented line saying "Notes (<refname>):" (or
  40 "Notes:" for `refs/notes/commits`).
  41
  42 Notes can also be added to patches prepared with `git format-patch` by
  43 using the `--notes` option. Such notes are added as a patch commentary
  44 after a three dash separator line.
  45
  46 To change which notes are shown by 'git log', see the
  47 "notes.displayRef" discussion in <<CONFIGURATION>>.
  48
  49 See the "notes.rewrite.<command>" configuration for a way to carry
  50 notes across commands that rewrite commits.
  51
  52
  53 SUBCOMMANDS
  54 -----------
  55
  56 list::
  57         List the notes object for a given object. If no object is
  58         given, show a list of all note objects and the objects they
  59         annotate (in the format "<note-object> <annotated-object>").
  60         This is the default subcommand if no subcommand is given.
  61
  62 add::
  63         Add notes for a given object (defaults to HEAD). Abort if the
  64         object already has notes (use `-f` to overwrite existing notes).
  65         However, if you're using `add` interactively (using an editor
  66         to supply the notes contents), then - instead of aborting -
  67         the existing notes will be opened in the editor (like the `edit`
  68         subcommand). If you specify multiple `-m` and `-F`, a blank
  69         line will be inserted between the messages. Use the `--separator`
  70         option to insert other delimiters.
  71
  72 copy::
  73         Copy the notes for the first object onto the second object (defaults to
  74         HEAD). Abort if the second object already has notes, or if the first
  75         object has none (use -f to overwrite existing notes to the
  76         second object). This subcommand is equivalent to:
  77         `git notes add [-f] -C $(git notes list <from-object>) <to-object>`
  78 +
  79 In `--stdin` mode, take lines in the format
  80 +
  81 ----------
  82 <from-object> SP <to-object> [ SP <rest> ] LF
  83 ----------
  84 +
  85 on standard input, and copy the notes from each <from-object> to its
  86 corresponding <to-object>.  (The optional `<rest>` is ignored so that
  87 the command can read the input given to the `post-rewrite` hook.)
  88
  89 append::
  90         Append new message(s) given by `-m` or `-F` options to an
  91         existing note, or add them as a new note if one does not
  92         exist, for the object (defaults to HEAD).  When appending to
  93         an existing note, a blank line is added before each new
  94         message as an inter-paragraph separator.  The separator can
  95         be customized with the `--separator` option.
  96
  97 edit::
  98         Edit the notes for a given object (defaults to HEAD).
  99
 100 show::
 101         Show the notes for a given object (defaults to HEAD).
 102
 103 merge::
 104         Merge the given notes ref into the current notes ref.
 105         This will try to merge the changes made by the given
 106         notes ref (called "remote") since the merge-base (if
 107         any) into the current notes ref (called "local").
 108 +
 109 If conflicts arise and a strategy for automatically resolving
 110 conflicting notes (see the "NOTES MERGE STRATEGIES" section) is not given,
 111 the "manual" resolver is used. This resolver checks out the
 112 conflicting notes in a special worktree (`.git/NOTES_MERGE_WORKTREE`),
 113 and instructs the user to manually resolve the conflicts there.
 114 When done, the user can either finalize the merge with
 115 'git notes merge --commit', or abort the merge with
 116 'git notes merge --abort'.
 117
 118 remove::
 119         Remove the notes for given objects (defaults to HEAD). When
 120         giving zero or one object from the command line, this is
 121         equivalent to specifying an empty note message to
 122         the `edit` subcommand.
 123
 124 prune::
 125         Remove all notes for non-existing/unreachable objects.
 126
 127 get-ref::
 128         Print the current notes ref. This provides an easy way to
 129         retrieve the current notes ref (e.g. from scripts).
 130
 131 OPTIONS
 132 -------
 133 -f::
 134 --force::
 135         When adding notes to an object that already has notes,
 136         overwrite the existing notes (instead of aborting).
 137
 138 -m <msg>::
 139 --message=<msg>::
 140         Use the given note message (instead of prompting).
 141         If multiple `-m` options are given, their values
 142         are concatenated as separate paragraphs.
 143         Lines starting with `#` and empty lines other than a
 144         single line between paragraphs will be stripped out.
 145         If you wish to keep them verbatim, use `--no-stripspace`.
 146
 147 -F <file>::
 148 --file=<file>::
 149         Take the note message from the given file.  Use '-' to
 150         read the note message from the standard input.
 151         Lines starting with `#` and empty lines other than a
 152         single line between paragraphs will be stripped out.
 153         If you wish to keep them verbatim, use `--no-stripspace`.
 154
 155 -C <object>::
 156 --reuse-message=<object>::
 157         Take the given blob object (for example, another note) as the
 158         note message. (Use `git notes copy <object>` instead to
 159         copy notes between objects.).  By default, message will be
 160         copied verbatim, but if you wish to strip out the lines
 161         starting with `#` and empty lines other than a single line
 162         between paragraphs, use with`--stripspace` option.
 163
 164 -c <object>::
 165 --reedit-message=<object>::
 166         Like '-C', but with `-c` the editor is invoked, so that
 167         the user can further edit the note message.
 168
 169 --allow-empty::
 170         Allow an empty note object to be stored. The default behavior is
 171         to automatically remove empty notes.
 172
 173 --[no-]separator, --separator=<paragraph-break>::
 174         Specify a string used as a custom inter-paragraph separator
 175         (a newline is added at the end as needed). If `--no-separator`, no
 176         separators will be added between paragraphs.  Defaults to a blank
 177         line.
 178
 179 --[no-]stripspace::
 180         Strip leading and trailing whitespace from the note message.
 181         Also strip out empty lines other than a single line between
 182         paragraphs. Lines starting with `#` will be stripped out
 183         in non-editor cases like `-m`, `-F` and `-C`, but not in
 184         editor case like `git notes edit`, `-c`, etc.
 185
 186 --ref <ref>::
 187         Manipulate the notes tree in <ref>.  This overrides
 188         `GIT_NOTES_REF` and the "core.notesRef" configuration.  The ref
 189         specifies the full refname when it begins with `refs/notes/`; when it
 190         begins with `notes/`, `refs/` and otherwise `refs/notes/` is prefixed
 191         to form a full name of the ref.
 192
 193 --ignore-missing::
 194         Do not consider it an error to request removing notes from an
 195         object that does not have notes attached to it.
 196
 197 --stdin::
 198         Also read the object names to remove notes from the standard
 199         input (there is no reason you cannot combine this with object
 200         names from the command line).
 201
 202 -n::
 203 --dry-run::
 204         Do not remove anything; just report the object names whose notes
 205         would be removed.
 206
 207 -s <strategy>::
 208 --strategy=<strategy>::
 209         When merging notes, resolve notes conflicts using the given
 210         strategy. The following strategies are recognized: "manual"
 211         (default), "ours", "theirs", "union" and "cat_sort_uniq".
 212         This option overrides the "notes.mergeStrategy" configuration setting.
 213         See the "NOTES MERGE STRATEGIES" section below for more
 214         information on each notes merge strategy.
 215
 216 --commit::
 217         Finalize an in-progress 'git notes merge'. Use this option
 218         when you have resolved the conflicts that 'git notes merge'
 219         stored in .git/NOTES_MERGE_WORKTREE. This amends the partial
 220         merge commit created by 'git notes merge' (stored in
 221         .git/NOTES_MERGE_PARTIAL) by adding the notes in
 222         .git/NOTES_MERGE_WORKTREE. The notes ref stored in the
 223         .git/NOTES_MERGE_REF symref is updated to the resulting commit.
 224
 225 --abort::
 226         Abort/reset an in-progress 'git notes merge', i.e. a notes merge
 227         with conflicts. This simply removes all files related to the
 228         notes merge.
 229
 230 -q::
 231 --quiet::
 232         When merging notes, operate quietly.
 233
 234 -v::
 235 --verbose::
 236         When merging notes, be more verbose.
 237         When pruning notes, report all object names whose notes are
 238         removed.
 239
 240
 241 DISCUSSION
 242 ----------
 243
 244 Commit notes are blobs containing extra information about an object
 245 (usually information to supplement a commit's message).  These blobs
 246 are taken from notes refs.  A notes ref is usually a branch which
 247 contains "files" whose paths are the object names for the objects
 248 they describe, with some directory separators included for performance
 249 reasons footnote:[Permitted pathnames have the form
 250 'bf'`/`'fe'`/`'30'`/`'...'`/`'680d5a...': a sequence of directory
 251 names of two hexadecimal digits each followed by a filename with the
 252 rest of the object ID.].
 253
 254 Every notes change creates a new commit at the specified notes ref.
 255 You can therefore inspect the history of the notes by invoking, e.g.,
 256 `git log -p notes/commits`.  Currently the commit message only records
 257 which operation triggered the update, and the commit authorship is
 258 determined according to the usual rules (see linkgit:git-commit[1]).
 259 These details may change in the future.
 260
 261 It is also permitted for a notes ref to point directly to a tree
 262 object, in which case the history of the notes can be read with
 263 `git log -p -g <refname>`.
 264
 265
 266 NOTES MERGE STRATEGIES
 267 ----------------------
 268
 269 The default notes merge strategy is "manual", which checks out
 270 conflicting notes in a special work tree for resolving notes conflicts
 271 (`.git/NOTES_MERGE_WORKTREE`), and instructs the user to resolve the
 272 conflicts in that work tree.
 273 When done, the user can either finalize the merge with
 274 'git notes merge --commit', or abort the merge with
 275 'git notes merge --abort'.
 276
 277 Users may select an automated merge strategy from among the following using
 278 either -s/--strategy option or configuring notes.mergeStrategy accordingly:
 279
 280 "ours" automatically resolves conflicting notes in favor of the local
 281 version (i.e. the current notes ref).
 282
 283 "theirs" automatically resolves notes conflicts in favor of the remote
 284 version (i.e. the given notes ref being merged into the current notes
 285 ref).
 286
 287 "union" automatically resolves notes conflicts by concatenating the
 288 local and remote versions.
 289
 290 "cat_sort_uniq" is similar to "union", but in addition to concatenating
 291 the local and remote versions, this strategy also sorts the resulting
 292 lines, and removes duplicate lines from the result. This is equivalent
 293 to applying the "cat | sort | uniq" shell pipeline to the local and
 294 remote versions. This strategy is useful if the notes follow a line-based
 295 format where one wants to avoid duplicated lines in the merge result.
 296 Note that if either the local or remote version contain duplicate lines
 297 prior to the merge, these will also be removed by this notes merge
 298 strategy.
 299
 300
 301 EXAMPLES
 302 --------
 303
 304 You can use notes to add annotations with information that was not
 305 available at the time a commit was written.
 306
 307 ------------
 308 $ git notes add -m 'Tested-by: Johannes Sixt <j6t@kdbg.org>' 72a144e2
 309 $ git show -s 72a144e
 310 [...]
 311     Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
 312
 313 Notes:
 314     Tested-by: Johannes Sixt <j6t@kdbg.org>
 315 ------------
 316
 317 In principle, a note is a regular Git blob, and any kind of
 318 (non-)format is accepted.  You can binary-safely create notes from
 319 arbitrary files using 'git hash-object':
 320
 321 ------------
 322 $ cc *.c
 323 $ blob=$(git hash-object -w a.out)
 324 $ git notes --ref=built add --allow-empty -C "$blob" HEAD
 325 ------------
 326
 327 (You cannot simply use `git notes --ref=built add -F a.out HEAD`
 328 because that is not binary-safe.)
 329 Of course, it doesn't make much sense to display non-text-format notes
 330 with 'git log', so if you use such notes, you'll probably need to write
 331 some special-purpose tools to do something useful with them.
 332
 333
 334 [[CONFIGURATION]]
 335 CONFIGURATION
 336 -------------
 337
 338 core.notesRef::
 339         Notes ref to read and manipulate instead of
 340         `refs/notes/commits`.  Must be an unabbreviated ref name.
 341         This setting can be overridden through the environment and
 342         command line.
 343
 344 include::includes/cmd-config-section-rest.txt[]
 345
 346 include::config/notes.txt[]
 347
 348
 349 ENVIRONMENT
 350 -----------
 351
 352 `GIT_NOTES_REF`::
 353         Which ref to manipulate notes from, instead of `refs/notes/commits`.
 354         This overrides the `core.notesRef` setting.
 355
 356 `GIT_NOTES_DISPLAY_REF`::
 357         Colon-delimited list of refs or globs indicating which refs,
 358         in addition to the default from `core.notesRef` or
 359         `GIT_NOTES_REF`, to read notes from when showing commit
 360         messages.
 361         This overrides the `notes.displayRef` setting.
 362 +
 363 A warning will be issued for refs that do not exist, but a glob that
 364 does not match any refs is silently ignored.
 365
 366 `GIT_NOTES_REWRITE_MODE`::
 367         When copying notes during a rewrite, what to do if the target
 368         commit already has a note.
 369         Must be one of `overwrite`, `concatenate`, `cat_sort_uniq`, or `ignore`.
 370         This overrides the `core.rewriteMode` setting.
 371
 372 `GIT_NOTES_REWRITE_REF`::
 373         When rewriting commits, which notes to copy from the original
 374         to the rewritten commit.  Must be a colon-delimited list of
 375         refs or globs.
 376 +
 377 If not set in the environment, the list of notes to copy depends
 378 on the `notes.rewrite.<command>` and `notes.rewriteRef` settings.
 379
 380 GIT
 381 ---
 382 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite