From acee42d3e5a2855cfa3b33baf3728f34fe6fb33f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Mirko Faina <mroik@delayed.space>
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2026 20:48:09 +0100
Subject: docs: fix --commit-list-format related entries

Documentation specifies that "git format-patch" would default to
format.commitListFormat if --commit-list-format is not given, but
doesn't specify the default if the format.commitListFormat is not set.
The text for --cover-letter is also obsolete as the commit list can now
be something other than a shortlog.

Document to reflect changes.

Signed-off-by: Mirko Faina <mroik@delayed.space>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
---
 Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc | 24 ++++++++++++------------
 1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

(limited to 'Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc')

diff --git a/Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc b/Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc
index c52dbcc170..cbbb292cb5 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.adoc
@@ -319,21 +319,21 @@ feeding the result to `git send-email`.
 
 --cover-letter::
 --no-cover-letter::
-	In addition to the patches, generate a cover letter file
-	containing the branch description, shortlog and the overall diffstat.  You can
-	fill in a description in the file before sending it out.
+	In addition to the patches, generate a cover letter file containing the
+	branch description, commit list and the overall diffstat.  You can fill
+	in a description in the file before sending it out.
 
 --commit-list-format=<format-spec>::
 	Specify the format in which to generate the commit list of the patch
-	series. The accepted values for format-spec are `shortlog`, `modern` or a
-	format-string prefixed with `log:`.
-	e.g. `log: %s (%an)`
-	The user is allowed to drop the prefix if the format-string contains a
-	`%<placeholder>`.
-	If not given, defaults to the `format.commitListFormat` configuration
-	variable.
-	This option implies the use of `--cover-letter` unless
-	`--no-cover-letter` is given.
+	series. The accepted values for format-spec are `shortlog`, `modern` or
+	a format-string prefixed with `log:`. E.g. `log: %s (%an)`.
+	`modern` is the same as `log:[%(count)/%(total)] %s`.
+	The `log:` prefix can be omitted if the format-string has a `%` in it
+	(expecting that it is part of `%<placeholder>`).
+	Defaults to the `format.commitListFormat` configuration variable, if
+	set, or `shortlog`.
+	This option given from the command-line implies the use of
+	`--cover-letter` unless `--no-cover-letter` is given.
 
 --encode-email-headers::
 --no-encode-email-headers::
-- 
cgit v1.3

