setup_reflog_action: document the rules for using GIT_REFLOG_ACTION

The set_reflog_action helper (in git-sh-setup) is designed to be
used once at the very top of a program, like this in "git am", for
example:

	set_reflog_action am

The helper function sets the given string to GIT_REFLOG_ACTION only
when GIT_REFLOG_ACTION is not yet set.  Thanks to this, "git am",
when run as the top-level program, will use "am" in GIT_REFLOG_ACTION
and the reflog entries made by whatever it does will record the
updates of refs done by "am".

Because of the conditional assignment, when "git am" is run as a
subprogram (i.e. an implementation detail) of "git rebase" that
already sets GIT_REFLOG_ACTION to its own name, the call in "git am"
to the helper function at the beginning will *not* have any effect.

So "git rebase" can do this:

	set_reflog_action rebase
	... do its own preparation, like checking out "onto" commit
        ... decide to do "format-patch" to "am" pipeline
        	git format-patch --stdout >mbox
		git am mbox

and the reflog entries made inside "git am" invocation will say
"rebase", not "am".

Calls to "git" commands that update refs would use GIT_REFLOG_ACTION
to record who did that update.  Most such calls in scripted Porcelains
do not define custom reflog message and rely on GIT_REFLOG_ACTION to
contain its (or its caller's, when it is called as a subprogram) name.

If a scripted Porcelain wants to record a custom reflog message for
a single invocation of "git" command (e.g. when "git rebase" uses
"git checkout" to detach HEAD at the commit a series is to be
replayed on), it needs to set GIT_REFLOG_ACTION to the custom
message and export it while calling the "git" command, but such an
assignment must be restricted to that single "git" invocation and
should not be left behind to affect later codepath.

Document the rules to avoid future confusion.

Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

1 files changed, 34 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/git-sh-setup.sh b/git-sh-setup.sh
index 9cfbe7f143..53ab0684f2 100644
--- a/git-sh-setup.sh
+++ b/git-sh-setup.sh
@@ -103,6 +103,40 @@ $LONG_USAGE"
 	esac
 fi
 
+# Set the name of the end-user facing command in the reflog when the
+# script may update refs.  When GIT_REFLOG_ACTION is already set, this
+# will not overwrite it, so that a scripted Porcelain (e.g. "git
+# rebase") can set it to its own name (e.g. "rebase") and then call
+# another scripted Porcelain (e.g. "git am") and a call to this
+# function in the latter will keep the name of the end-user facing
+# program (e.g. "rebase") in GIT_REFLOG_ACTION, ensuring whatever it
+# does will be record as actions done as part of the end-user facing
+# operation (e.g. "rebase").
+#
+# NOTE NOTE NOTE: consequently, after assigning a specific message to
+# GIT_REFLOG_ACTION when calling a "git" command to record a custom
+# reflog message, do not leave that custom value in GIT_REFLOG_ACTION,
+# after you are done.  Other callers of "git" commands that rely on
+# writing the default "program name" in reflog expect the variable to
+# contain the value set by this function.
+#
+# To use a custom reflog message, do either one of these three:
+#
+# (a) use a single-shot export form:
+#     GIT_REFLOG_ACTION="$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION: preparing frotz" \
+#         git command-that-updates-a-ref
+#
+# (b) save the original away and restore:
+#     SAVED_ACTION=$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION
+#     GIT_REFLOG_ACTION="$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION: preparing frotz"
+#     git command-that-updates-a-ref
+#     GIT_REFLOG_ACITON=$SAVED_ACTION
+#
+# (c) assign the variable in a subshell:
+#     (
+#         GIT_REFLOG_ACTION="$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION: preparing frotz"
+#         git command-that-updates-a-ref
+#     )
 set_reflog_action() {
 	if [ -z "${GIT_REFLOG_ACTION:+set}" ]
 	then