CODEWITHSUNDEEP
gitcommand-line-interface
slew123
slew123

Reputation: 149

How does "-a" option for git commits write commit messages?

I messed up a git commit command. First of all I used the -a option instead of the --amend option. I also misspelled the --amend option.

C:\Users\Slew\Documents\my-repo>git commit -ammend -m "fix links in default layout"
[main 97328ff] mend
 2 files changed, 61 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

When I look at the commit history in my repository on GitHub, I see a commit called mend with three dots next to it. If I click the three dots, it reveals another message, which is the commit message I originally intended - fix links in default layout.

How has the -a option actually named this commit and what happened to that extra letter "m" which I accidentally added?

Upvotes: 3

Views: 102

Answers (1)

mkrieger1
mkrieger1

Reputation: 23255

-am is shorthand for -a -m, where the mend following the m was interpreted as argument to -m.

Furthermore, option -m can be repeated, git commit collects the strings and add all of them (separated by empty lines) to the commit message (see https://git-scm.com/docs/git-commit#Documentation/git-commit.txt--mltmsggt).

So the command above is git commit -a -m mend -m "fix links in default layout".

Upvotes: 2

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