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-rw-r--r--Documentation/git-cat-file.txt221
1 files changed, 157 insertions, 64 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt b/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt
index 8eca671..bd95a6c 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt
@@ -3,28 +3,32 @@ git-cat-file(1)
NAME
----
-git-cat-file - Provide content or type and size information for repository objects
-
+git-cat-file - Provide contents or details of repository objects
SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
-'git cat-file' (-t [--allow-unknown-type]| -s [--allow-unknown-type]| -e | -p | <type> | --textconv | --filters ) [--path=<path>] <object>
-'git cat-file' (--batch | --batch-check) [ --textconv | --filters ] [--follow-symlinks]
+'git cat-file' <type> <object>
+'git cat-file' (-e | -p) <object>
+'git cat-file' (-t | -s) [--allow-unknown-type] <object>
+'git cat-file' (--textconv | --filters)
+ [<rev>:<path|tree-ish> | --path=<path|tree-ish> <rev>]
+'git cat-file' (--batch | --batch-check | --batch-command) [--batch-all-objects]
+ [--buffer] [--follow-symlinks] [--unordered]
+ [--textconv | --filters] [-Z]
DESCRIPTION
-----------
-In its first form, the command provides the content or the type of an object in
-the repository. The type is required unless `-t` or `-p` is used to find the
-object type, or `-s` is used to find the object size, or `--textconv` or
-`--filters` is used (which imply type "blob").
-
-In the second form, a list of objects (separated by linefeeds) is provided on
-stdin, and the SHA-1, type, and size of each object is printed on stdout. The
-output format can be overridden using the optional `<format>` argument. If
-either `--textconv` or `--filters` was specified, the input is expected to
-list the object names followed by the path name, separated by a single
-whitespace, so that the appropriate drivers can be determined.
+Output the contents or other properties such as size, type or delta
+information of one or more objects.
+
+This command can operate in two modes, depending on whether an option
+from the `--batch` family is specified.
+
+In non-batch mode, the command provides information on an object
+named on the command line.
+
+In batch mode, arguments are read from standard input.
OPTIONS
-------
@@ -35,74 +39,139 @@ OPTIONS
-t::
Instead of the content, show the object type identified by
- <object>.
+ `<object>`.
-s::
Instead of the content, show the object size identified by
- <object>.
+ `<object>`. If used with `--use-mailmap` option, will show
+ the size of updated object after replacing idents using the
+ mailmap mechanism.
-e::
- Exit with zero status if <object> exists and is a valid
- object. If <object> is of an invalid format exit with non-zero and
- emits an error on stderr.
+ Exit with zero status if `<object>` exists and is a valid
+ object. If `<object>` is of an invalid format, exit with non-zero
+ status and emit an error on stderr.
-p::
- Pretty-print the contents of <object> based on its type.
+ Pretty-print the contents of `<object>` based on its type.
<type>::
- Typically this matches the real type of <object> but asking
+ Typically this matches the real type of `<object>` but asking
for a type that can trivially be dereferenced from the given
- <object> is also permitted. An example is to ask for a
- "tree" with <object> being a commit object that contains it,
- or to ask for a "blob" with <object> being a tag object that
+ `<object>` is also permitted. An example is to ask for a
+ "tree" with `<object>` being a commit object that contains it,
+ or to ask for a "blob" with `<object>` being a tag object that
points at it.
+--[no-]mailmap::
+--[no-]use-mailmap::
+ Use mailmap file to map author, committer and tagger names
+ and email addresses to canonical real names and email addresses.
+ See linkgit:git-shortlog[1].
+
--textconv::
Show the content as transformed by a textconv filter. In this case,
- <object> has to be of the form <tree-ish>:<path>, or :<path> in
+ `<object>` has to be of the form `<tree-ish>:<path>`, or `:<path>` in
order to apply the filter to the content recorded in the index at
- <path>.
+ `<path>`.
--filters::
Show the content as converted by the filters configured in
- the current working tree for the given <path> (i.e. smudge filters,
- end-of-line conversion, etc). In this case, <object> has to be of
- the form <tree-ish>:<path>, or :<path>.
+ the current working tree for the given `<path>` (i.e. smudge filters,
+ end-of-line conversion, etc). In this case, `<object>` has to be of
+ the form `<tree-ish>:<path>`, or `:<path>`.
--path=<path>::
- For use with --textconv or --filters, to allow specifying an object
+ For use with `--textconv` or `--filters`, to allow specifying an object
name and a path separately, e.g. when it is difficult to figure out
the revision from which the blob came.
--batch::
--batch=<format>::
Print object information and contents for each object provided
- on stdin. May not be combined with any other options or arguments
- except `--textconv` or `--filters`, in which case the input lines
- also need to specify the path, separated by whitespace. See the
- section `BATCH OUTPUT` below for details.
+ on stdin. May not be combined with any other options or arguments
+ except `--textconv`, `--filters`, or `--use-mailmap`.
++
+--
+ * When used with `--textconv` or `--filters`, the input lines
+ must specify the path, separated by whitespace. See the section
+ `BATCH OUTPUT` below for details.
+
+ * When used with `--use-mailmap`, for commit and tag objects, the
+ contents part of the output shows the identities replaced using the
+ mailmap mechanism, while the information part of the output shows
+ the size of the object as if it actually recorded the replacement
+ identities.
+--
--batch-check::
--batch-check=<format>::
- Print object information for each object provided on stdin. May
- not be combined with any other options or arguments except
- `--textconv` or `--filters`, in which case the input lines also
- need to specify the path, separated by whitespace. See the
- section `BATCH OUTPUT` below for details.
+ Print object information for each object provided on stdin. May not be
+ combined with any other options or arguments except `--textconv`, `--filters`
+ or `--use-mailmap`.
++
+--
+ * When used with `--textconv` or `--filters`, the input lines must
+ specify the path, separated by whitespace. See the section
+ `BATCH OUTPUT` below for details.
+
+ * When used with `--use-mailmap`, for commit and tag objects, the
+ printed object information shows the size of the object as if the
+ identities recorded in it were replaced by the mailmap mechanism.
+--
+
+--batch-command::
+--batch-command=<format>::
+ Enter a command mode that reads commands and arguments from stdin. May
+ only be combined with `--buffer`, `--textconv`, `--use-mailmap` or
+ `--filters`.
++
+--
+ * When used with `--textconv` or `--filters`, the input lines must
+ specify the path, separated by whitespace. See the section
+ `BATCH OUTPUT` below for details.
+
+ * When used with `--use-mailmap`, for commit and tag objects, the
+ `contents` command shows the identities replaced using the
+ mailmap mechanism, while the `info` command shows the size
+ of the object as if it actually recorded the replacement
+ identities.
+--
++
+`--batch-command` recognizes the following commands:
++
+--
+contents <object>::
+ Print object contents for object reference `<object>`. This corresponds to
+ the output of `--batch`.
+
+info <object>::
+ Print object info for object reference `<object>`. This corresponds to the
+ output of `--batch-check`.
+
+flush::
+ Used with `--buffer` to execute all preceding commands that were issued
+ since the beginning or since the last flush was issued. When `--buffer`
+ is used, no output will come until a `flush` is issued. When `--buffer`
+ is not used, commands are flushed each time without issuing `flush`.
+--
++
--batch-all-objects::
Instead of reading a list of objects on stdin, perform the
requested batch operation on all objects in the repository and
any alternate object stores (not just reachable objects).
- Requires `--batch` or `--batch-check` be specified. Note that
- the objects are visited in order sorted by their hashes.
+ Requires `--batch` or `--batch-check` be specified. By default,
+ the objects are visited in order sorted by their hashes; see
+ also `--unordered` below. Objects are presented as-is, without
+ respecting the "replace" mechanism of linkgit:git-replace[1].
--buffer::
Normally batch output is flushed after each object is output, so
that a process can interactively read and write from
`cat-file`. With this option, the output uses normal stdio
buffering; this is much more efficient when invoking
- `--batch-check` on a large number of objects.
+ `--batch-check` or `--batch-command` on a large number of objects.
--unordered::
When `--batch-all-objects` is in use, visit objects in an
@@ -115,15 +184,15 @@ OPTIONS
repository.
--allow-unknown-type::
- Allow -s or -t to query broken/corrupt objects of unknown type.
+ Allow `-s` or `-t` to query broken/corrupt objects of unknown type.
--follow-symlinks::
- With --batch or --batch-check, follow symlinks inside the
+ With `--batch` or `--batch-check`, follow symlinks inside the
repository when requesting objects with extended SHA-1
expressions of the form tree-ish:path-in-tree. Instead of
providing output about the link itself, provide output about
the linked-to object. If a symlink points outside the
- tree-ish (e.g. a link to /foo or a root-level link to ../foo),
+ tree-ish (e.g. a link to `/foo` or a root-level link to `../foo`),
the portion of the link which is outside the tree will be
printed.
+
@@ -172,18 +241,29 @@ respectively print:
/etc/passwd
--
+-Z::
+ Only meaningful with `--batch`, `--batch-check`, or
+ `--batch-command`; input and output is NUL-delimited instead of
+ newline-delimited.
+
+-z::
+ Only meaningful with `--batch`, `--batch-check`, or
+ `--batch-command`; input is NUL-delimited instead of
+ newline-delimited. This option is deprecated in favor of
+ `-Z` as the output can otherwise be ambiguous.
+
OUTPUT
------
-If `-t` is specified, one of the <type>.
+If `-t` is specified, one of the `<type>`.
-If `-s` is specified, the size of the <object> in bytes.
+If `-s` is specified, the size of the `<object>` in bytes.
-If `-e` is specified, no output, unless the <object> is malformed.
+If `-e` is specified, no output, unless the `<object>` is malformed.
-If `-p` is specified, the contents of <object> are pretty-printed.
+If `-p` is specified, the contents of `<object>` are pretty-printed.
-If <type> is specified, the raw (though uncompressed) contents of the <object>
+If `<type>` is specified, the raw (though uncompressed) contents of the `<object>`
will be returned.
BATCH OUTPUT
@@ -194,13 +274,20 @@ from stdin, one per line, and print information about them. By default,
the whole line is considered as an object, as if it were fed to
linkgit:git-rev-parse[1].
+When `--batch-command` is given, `cat-file` will read commands from stdin,
+one per line, and print information based on the command given. With
+`--batch-command`, the `info` command followed by an object will print
+information about the object the same way `--batch-check` would, and the
+`contents` command followed by an object prints contents in the same way
+`--batch` would.
+
You can specify the information shown for each object by using a custom
`<format>`. The `<format>` is copied literally to stdout for each
object, with placeholders of the form `%(atom)` expanded, followed by a
newline. The available atoms are:
`objectname`::
- The 40-hex object name of the object.
+ The full hex representation of the object name.
`objecttype`::
The type of the object (the same as `cat-file -t` reports).
@@ -215,8 +302,9 @@ newline. The available atoms are:
`deltabase`::
If the object is stored as a delta on-disk, this expands to the
- 40-hex sha1 of the delta base object. Otherwise, expands to the
- null sha1 (40 zeroes). See `CAVEATS` below.
+ full hex representation of the delta base object name.
+ Otherwise, expands to the null OID (all zeroes). See `CAVEATS`
+ below.
`rest`::
If this atom is used in the output string, input lines are split
@@ -228,21 +316,21 @@ newline. The available atoms are:
If no format is specified, the default format is `%(objectname)
%(objecttype) %(objectsize)`.
-If `--batch` is specified, the object information is followed by the
-object contents (consisting of `%(objectsize)` bytes), followed by a
-newline.
+If `--batch` is specified, or if `--batch-command` is used with the `contents`
+command, the object information is followed by the object contents (consisting
+of `%(objectsize)` bytes), followed by a newline.
For example, `--batch` without a custom format would produce:
------------
-<sha1> SP <type> SP <size> LF
+<oid> SP <type> SP <size> LF
<contents> LF
------------
Whereas `--batch-check='%(objectname) %(objecttype)'` would produce:
------------
-<sha1> SP <type> LF
+<oid> SP <type> LF
------------
If a name is specified on stdin that cannot be resolved to an object in
@@ -258,7 +346,7 @@ If a name is specified that might refer to more than one object (an ambiguous sh
<object> SP ambiguous LF
------------
-If --follow-symlinks is used, and a symlink in the repository points
+If `--follow-symlinks` is used, and a symlink in the repository points
outside the repository, then `cat-file` will ignore any custom format
and print:
@@ -267,11 +355,11 @@ symlink SP <size> LF
<symlink> LF
------------
-The symlink will either be absolute (beginning with a /), or relative
-to the tree root. For instance, if dir/link points to ../../foo, then
-<symlink> will be ../foo. <size> is the size of the symlink in bytes.
+The symlink will either be absolute (beginning with a `/`), or relative
+to the tree root. For instance, if dir/link points to `../../foo`, then
+`<symlink>` will be `../foo`. `<size>` is the size of the symlink in bytes.
-If --follow-symlinks is used, the following error messages will be
+If `--follow-symlinks` is used, the following error messages will be
displayed:
------------
@@ -300,6 +388,11 @@ notdir SP <size> LF
is printed when, during symlink resolution, a file is used as a
directory name.
+Alternatively, when `-Z` is passed, the line feeds in any of the above examples
+are replaced with NUL terminators. This ensures that output will be parsable if
+the output itself would contain a linefeed and is thus recommended for
+scripting purposes.
+
CAVEATS
-------