Subject: Re: [PATCH] Documentation: Better explain git-commit --author implications

From: Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:55:05 -0700

Abhijit Bhopatkar <[email-masked]> writes:

> '--author' changes the author name and email, but the
> documentation was not clear that it will not affect the
> '--signoff' option which will still use the user's name and
> email from the git settings.
>
> Signed-off-by: Abhijit Bhopatkar <[email-masked]>
> ---
>  Documentation/git-commit.txt |    4 +++-
>  1 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/git-commit.txt b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
> index eb05b0f..17b69fa 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-commit.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/git-commit.txt
> @@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ OPTIONS
>  	Override the author name used in the commit.  You can use the
>  	standard `A U Thor <[email-masked]>` format.  Otherwise,
>  	an existing commit that matches the given string and its author
> -	name is used.
> +	name is used. This has no effect on singoff line which will
> +	still use commiter name and email .
>
>  -m <msg>::
>  --message=<msg>::
> @@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ OPTIONS
>  -s::
>  --signoff::
>  	Add Signed-off-by line at the end of the commit message.
> +	'--author' option has no effect on this line.

I think it is much clearer if you do not say what does _not_ affect
things, but instead say what does.  So let's do this instead.

        --signoff::
                Add Signed-off-by line by the committer at the end of the commit
                log message.

And no other changes.

By making it clear that signoff is about the committer, it would be clear
that --author (or GIT_AUTHOR_NAME environment variable) would not affect
it.