git log -> changelog [was: [PATCH] Path conversion documentation]

[Eric Blake]

[adding bug-gnulib]

On 09/02/2010 03:00 PM, Charles Wilson wrote:
> IF we want to use gitlog to create the ChangeLog, then either of these
> is fine with me.  However, see below.
>
> >         iii) fix the gitlog entries -- if that's even viable?
>
> I don't think (iii) will work. You can play all sorts of games with
> filter-branch, but...I managed to screw up three different git clones
> before I gave that up as a bad idea (I was trying to fix the author of a
> commit that was not the final entry).

Recent git has added the notion of annotations; we could use a specific 
annotation namespace for replacement ChangeLog messages to be used for 
any commit where we typo'd the original commit log (or left out credit 
for a contributor, etc.).  But since Jim was the one that developed the 
gitlog to changelog conversion tool, he's more familiar with what it 
would take, and whether it even makes sense to require a new enough git 
version to exploit commit annotations as a means of fixing ChangeLog 
entries.

> > Comments?
>
> It does seem like gitlog and ChangeLog duplicate the same info, so it
> would definitely be nice to reduce dvlpr workload.  However, I have
> noticed that you /just can't/ do the following -- which is actually
> required by the GCS:
>
> Two people worked on a single patch, or someone submitted it, and then
> one of the people with commit access modified the patch slightly.  The
> GCS says you should do this, in the ChangeLog:
>
> ===========================================
> 2010-09-02  John Original Submitter<...>
>              Steve Committer Rewrite<...>    <<<=== can't do this

Well, if you go by git's Signed-off-by tags as a way of generating those 
lines, it would be possible.  Also, this would be an argument where 
annotations could serve to fill in the gap.

> * file (func): comment
>
> Signed-off-by: Steve Committer Rewrite<...>
> ===========================================
>
> Also, for trivial commits without a copyright assignment, the GCS says
> you should do this:
>
> ===========================================
> 2010-09-02  Sally No Assignment<...>  (tiny change)

Again, something that annotations could cover.

> * file (func): comment
>
> Signed-off-by: Mark Committer<...>
> ===========================================
>
> Now, MAYBE the committer can do that by munging the --author='...'; I've
> never tried and I'm not sure how thoroughly git checks the --author
> argument.

You can munge anything before the email, but can't add (tiny change) 
afterwards (in other words, git hard-codes the email address to be 
last).  I'd rather not munge --author, since 'git shortlog' would be 
noticeably worse with annotations like that.

--
Eric Blake   address@hidden    +1-801-349-2682
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org