b4: send: support git notes per patch

b4: send: support git notes per patch

[Matthieu Baerts]

Hi Konstantin,

Do you think "b4 send" could attach the "git notes" to the different
patches being sent, similar to what "git format-patch --notes" does?

Personally, I find this quite useful: when you have a series with a
bunch of patches, it seems interesting to put a detailed changelog per
patch instead of putting everything in the cover-letter. It makes even
more sense when some people are only Cc with a few patches and not with
the whole series. I didn't find a way to do that with b4.

But then, I guess we might need a workaround implemented or shipped with
b4 to preserve the notes when git filter-repo is used, no? This is
linked to the issue reported by Christian:


https://lore.kernel.org/tools/20221122185249.733ipcpwpgkh5xle@meerkat.local/
  https://github.com/newren/git-filter-repo/issues/22

I guess this issue is not going to be fixed soon and even if it does, it
might take time to have it in the different distros. I admit it is quite
surprising to no longer see the notes after having used b4
prep/trailer/send! :)

Cheers,
Matt

PS: by chance if you can have a look at my patches/questions for 'b4
prep --fork-point', that would be nice :)


https://lore.kernel.org/tools/20230206-b4-prep-fork-point-as-base-branch-v1-0-2732e0c32f5d@tessares.net/
-- 
Tessares | Belgium | Hybrid Access Solutions
www.tessares.net

Re: b4: send: support git notes per patch

[Konstantin Ryabitsev]

On Mon, Mar 27, 2023 at 12:20:43PM +0200, Matthieu Baerts wrote:
> Do you think "b4 send" could attach the "git notes" to the different
> patches being sent, similar to what "git format-patch --notes" does?
> 
> Personally, I find this quite useful: when you have a series with a
> bunch of patches, it seems interesting to put a detailed changelog per
> patch instead of putting everything in the cover-letter. It makes even
> more sense when some people are only Cc with a few patches and not with
> the whole series. I didn't find a way to do that with b4.
> 
> But then, I guess we might need a workaround implemented or shipped with
> b4 to preserve the notes when git filter-repo is used, no?

Correct, I don't want to touch it until we stop blowing away git notes every
time we run "b4 trailers".

BTW, another alternative to git notes it to add this info into the commit
itself, e.g.:

    libfoo: update foo bar

    This updates foo bar.

    Signed-off-by: Dev E. Loper <dev@example.com>

    ---

    My notes about the patch here that will be preserved by "b4 send" and show
    up in the patches sent out, but because they are below "---", they aren't
    going to be part of the commit.

> PS: by chance if you can have a look at my patches/questions for 'b4
> prep --fork-point', that would be nice :)

I know that it's been sitting for a while, and I'm not ignoring it, just need
to find a good stretch of time to dedicate to understanding the RFC set.

-K

Re: b4: send: support git notes per patch

[Matthieu Baerts]

Hi Konstantin,

Thank you for your reply!

On 27/03/2023 23:18, Konstantin Ryabitsev wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 27, 2023 at 12:20:43PM +0200, Matthieu Baerts wrote:
>> Do you think "b4 send" could attach the "git notes" to the different
>> patches being sent, similar to what "git format-patch --notes" does?
>>
>> Personally, I find this quite useful: when you have a series with a
>> bunch of patches, it seems interesting to put a detailed changelog per
>> patch instead of putting everything in the cover-letter. It makes even
>> more sense when some people are only Cc with a few patches and not with
>> the whole series. I didn't find a way to do that with b4.
>>
>> But then, I guess we might need a workaround implemented or shipped with
>> b4 to preserve the notes when git filter-repo is used, no?
> 
> Correct, I don't want to touch it until we stop blowing away git notes every
> time we run "b4 trailers".

It makes sense.

> BTW, another alternative to git notes it to add this info into the commit
> itself, e.g.:
> 
>     libfoo: update foo bar
> 
>     This updates foo bar.
> 
>     Signed-off-by: Dev E. Loper <dev@example.com>
> 
>     ---
> 
>     My notes about the patch here that will be preserved by "b4 send" and show
>     up in the patches sent out, but because they are below "---", they aren't
>     going to be part of the commit.

Ah yes, good idea, thank you!
I can use this technique if "git notes" are not supported.

>> PS: by chance if you can have a look at my patches/questions for 'b4
>> prep --fork-point', that would be nice :)
> 
> I know that it's been sitting for a while, and I'm not ignoring it, just need
> to find a good stretch of time to dedicate to understanding the RFC set.

Oh sorry, I just noticed there was an up to date and well maintained
patchwork project for b4[1]. I will stop bothering you now that I can
see patches have not been dropped by accident!

(in short, for this RFC, I just wanted to understand why there was this
complexity in the code to find the base-branch when --fork-point was
given in argument instead of simply using it if it is valid)

Cheers,
Matt

[1] https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/tools/list/
-- 
Tessares | Belgium | Hybrid Access Solutions
www.tessares.net