Re: [PATCHv2] Document from line in patch format

[Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>]

On Sun, 2 Oct 2005, Paul Jackson wrote:
>
> Document more details of patch format such as the "from" line
> used to specify the patch author, and provide more references
> for patch guidelines.

One more issue: I'd really prefer that the "---" not be documented as 
"optional".

Yes, my tools will also notice "diff -" and "Index: " at the start of the 
line as being markers for where the real patch starts, but that's a hack 
because people haven't been following the "---" rule. I'd much rather make 
it clear that the "---" is supposed to be there, to mark where the end of 
the comments are.

Note that after the "---" you can have any amount of explanations that are 
not to be committed as comments on why. Not just a "diffstat", but in 
general it's an area for explaining why I should commit it or random notes 
on the patch. Things that don't necessarily make sense once the patch _is_ 
committed.

For example, a submitter might want to note that he's working on a better 
patch, but that this patch is the minimal one before a release. Things he 
wants to tell the maintainer, but that don't necessarily make sense to 
anybody else.

So the _diffstat_ is optional (although much preferred, especially for 
bigger patches), but the marker of "this is the end of the comments for 
the changelog" is not.

		Linus
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