Note: git and patch

Messy description

After cloning or creating a repository using a template and setting it to a private repository, it's not easy to synchronize updates from the original repository.

This article introduces how to generate a patch file through git, and how to synchronize updates from the original repository using the patch file.

Generating patch files

Generate a patch for the latest commit

git format-patch HEAD~

# 或
git format-patch -1

Generate a patch for a specific commit (e.g. abc123)

git format-patch -1 abc123

Generate patch files for multiple commits

# 生成最近 N 个提交的 patch（例如最近3次）
git format-patch -3

# 生成两个提交之间的所有 patch（不包含起始提交）
git format-patch <start-commit>..<end-commit>
# 示例：生成从 abc123 到当前 HEAD 的所有提交
git format-patch abc123..HEAD

Applying patch files

Preserve metadata

git am *.patch

If the error message is as follows:

error: patch failed: ...
error: ... could not apply patch ...
......
hint: Use 'git am --show-current-patch=diff' to see the failed patch
Applying: v3.0.8 (#132)
Patch failed at 0001 v3.0.8 (#132)
When you have resolved this problem, run "git am --continue".
If you prefer to skip this patch, run "git am --skip" instead.
To restore the original branch and stop patching, run "git am --abort".

You can add the -3 parameter and manually resolve conflicts.

git am --abort
git am -3 *.patch

After resolving conflicts, continue applying the patch file.

git am --continue

Do not preserve metadata

git apply *.patch

If an error occurs, you can manually resolve conflicts

git apply --3way *.patch