Documentation/git-replace.txt

   1 git-replace(1)
   2 ==============
   3
   4 NAME
   5 ----
   6 git-replace - Create, list, delete refs to replace objects
   7
   8 SYNOPSIS
   9 --------
  10 [verse]
  11 'git replace' [-f] <object> <replacement>
  12 'git replace' [-f] --edit <object>
  13 'git replace' [-f] --graft <commit> [<parent>...]
  14 'git replace' [-f] --convert-graft-file
  15 'git replace' -d <object>...
  16 'git replace' [--format=<format>] [-l [<pattern>]]
  17
  18 DESCRIPTION
  19 -----------
  20 Adds a 'replace' reference in `refs/replace/` namespace.
  21
  22 The name of the 'replace' reference is the SHA-1 of the object that is
  23 replaced. The content of the 'replace' reference is the SHA-1 of the
  24 replacement object.
  25
  26 The replaced object and the replacement object must be of the same type.
  27 This restriction can be bypassed using `-f`.
  28
  29 Unless `-f` is given, the 'replace' reference must not yet exist.
  30
  31 There is no other restriction on the replaced and replacement objects.
  32 Merge commits can be replaced by non-merge commits and vice versa.
  33
  34 Replacement references will be used by default by all Git commands
  35 except those doing reachability traversal (prune, pack transfer and
  36 fsck).
  37
  38 It is possible to disable use of replacement references for any
  39 command using the `--no-replace-objects` option just after 'git'.
  40
  41 For example if commit 'foo' has been replaced by commit 'bar':
  42
  43 ------------------------------------------------
  44 $ git --no-replace-objects cat-file commit foo
  45 ------------------------------------------------
  46
  47 shows information about commit 'foo', while:
  48
  49 ------------------------------------------------
  50 $ git cat-file commit foo
  51 ------------------------------------------------
  52
  53 shows information about commit 'bar'.
  54
  55 The `GIT_NO_REPLACE_OBJECTS` environment variable can be set to
  56 achieve the same effect as the `--no-replace-objects` option.
  57
  58 OPTIONS
  59 -------
  60 -f::
  61 --force::
  62         If an existing replace ref for the same object exists, it will
  63         be overwritten (instead of failing).
  64
  65 -d::
  66 --delete::
  67         Delete existing replace refs for the given objects.
  68
  69 --edit <object>::
  70         Edit an object's content interactively. The existing content
  71         for <object> is pretty-printed into a temporary file, an
  72         editor is launched on the file, and the result is parsed to
  73         create a new object of the same type as <object>. A
  74         replacement ref is then created to replace <object> with the
  75         newly created object. See linkgit:git-var[1] for details about
  76         how the editor will be chosen.
  77
  78 --raw::
  79         When editing, provide the raw object contents rather than
  80         pretty-printed ones. Currently this only affects trees, which
  81         will be shown in their binary form. This is harder to work with,
  82         but can help when repairing a tree that is so corrupted it
  83         cannot be pretty-printed. Note that you may need to configure
  84         your editor to cleanly read and write binary data.
  85
  86 --graft <commit> [<parent>...]::
  87         Create a graft commit. A new commit is created with the same
  88         content as <commit> except that its parents will be
  89         [<parent>...] instead of <commit>'s parents. A replacement ref
  90         is then created to replace <commit> with the newly created
  91         commit. Use `--convert-graft-file` to convert a
  92         `$GIT_DIR/info/grafts` file and use replace refs instead.
  93
  94 --convert-graft-file::
  95         Creates graft commits for all entries in `$GIT_DIR/info/grafts`
  96         and deletes that file upon success. The purpose is to help users
  97         with transitioning off of the now-deprecated graft file.
  98
  99 -l <pattern>::
 100 --list <pattern>::
 101         List replace refs for objects that match the given pattern (or
 102         all if no pattern is given).
 103         Typing "git replace" without arguments, also lists all replace
 104         refs.
 105
 106 --format=<format>::
 107         When listing, use the specified <format>, which can be one of
 108         'short', 'medium' and 'long'. When omitted, the format
 109         defaults to 'short'.
 110
 111 FORMATS
 112 -------
 113
 114 The following format are available:
 115
 116 * 'short':
 117         <replaced sha1>
 118 * 'medium':
 119         <replaced sha1> -> <replacement sha1>
 120 * 'long':
 121         <replaced sha1> (<replaced type>) -> <replacement sha1> (<replacement type>)
 122
 123 CREATING REPLACEMENT OBJECTS
 124 ----------------------------
 125
 126 linkgit:git-hash-object[1], linkgit:git-rebase[1], and
 127 https://github.com/newren/git-filter-repo[git-filter-repo], among other git commands, can be used to
 128 create replacement objects from existing objects. The `--edit` option
 129 can also be used with 'git replace' to create a replacement object by
 130 editing an existing object.
 131
 132 If you want to replace many blobs, trees or commits that are part of a
 133 string of commits, you may just want to create a replacement string of
 134 commits and then only replace the commit at the tip of the target
 135 string of commits with the commit at the tip of the replacement string
 136 of commits.
 137
 138 BUGS
 139 ----
 140 Comparing blobs or trees that have been replaced with those that
 141 replace them will not work properly. And using `git reset --hard` to
 142 go back to a replaced commit will move the branch to the replacement
 143 commit instead of the replaced commit.
 144
 145 There may be other problems when using 'git rev-list' related to
 146 pending objects.
 147
 148 SEE ALSO
 149 --------
 150 linkgit:git-hash-object[1]
 151 linkgit:git-rebase[1]
 152 linkgit:git-tag[1]
 153 linkgit:git-branch[1]
 154 linkgit:git-commit[1]
 155 linkgit:git-var[1]
 156 linkgit:git[1]
 157 https://github.com/newren/git-filter-repo[git-filter-repo]
 158
 159 GIT
 160 ---
 161 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite