merge: teach --autostash option

In rebase, one can pass the `--autostash` option to cause the worktree
to be automatically stashed before continuing with the rebase. This
option is missing in merge, however.

Implement the `--autostash` option and corresponding `merge.autoStash`
option in merge which stashes before merging and then pops after.

This option is useful when a developer has some local changes on a topic
branch but they realize that their work depends on another branch.
Previously, they had to run something like

	git fetch ...
	git stash push
	git merge FETCH_HEAD
	git stash pop

but now, that is reduced to

	git fetch ...
	git merge --autostash FETCH_HEAD

When an autostash is generated, it is automatically reapplied to the
worktree only in three explicit situations:

	1. An incomplete merge is commit using `git commit`.
	2. A merge completes successfully.
	3. A merge is aborted using `git merge --abort`.

In all other situations where the merge state is removed using
remove_merge_branch_state() such as aborting a merge via
`git reset --hard`, the autostash is saved into the stash reflog
instead keeping the worktree clean.

Helped-by: Phillip Wood <phillip.wood@dunelm.org.uk>
Suggested-by: Alban Gruin <alban.gruin@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Denton Liu <liu.denton@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

1 files changed, 8 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/Documentation/merge-options.txt b/Documentation/merge-options.txt
index 40dc4f5e8c..3985e6d4a9 100644
--- a/Documentation/merge-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/merge-options.txt
@@ -155,6 +155,14 @@ ifndef::git-pull[]
 	Note that not all merge strategies may support progress
 	reporting.
 
+--autostash::
+--no-autostash::
+	Automatically create a temporary stash entry before the operation
+	begins, and apply it after the operation ends.  This means
+	that you can run the operation on a dirty worktree.  However, use
+	with care: the final stash application after a successful
+	merge might result in non-trivial conflicts.
+
 endif::git-pull[]
 
 --allow-unrelated-histories::