Documentation / git-replace.txton commit Merge branch 'jc/maint-mergetool-style-fix' into maint-1.7.11 (23242a6)
   1git-replace(1)
   2==============
   3
   4NAME
   5----
   6git-replace - Create, list, delete refs to replace objects
   7
   8SYNOPSIS
   9--------
  10[verse]
  11'git replace' [-f] <object> <replacement>
  12'git replace' -d <object>...
  13'git replace' -l [<pattern>]
  14
  15DESCRIPTION
  16-----------
  17Adds a 'replace' reference in `refs/replace/` namespace.
  18
  19The name of the 'replace' reference is the SHA1 of the object that is
  20replaced. The content of the 'replace' reference is the SHA1 of the
  21replacement object.
  22
  23Unless `-f` is given, the 'replace' reference must not yet exist.
  24
  25Replacement references will be used by default by all git commands
  26except those doing reachability traversal (prune, pack transfer and
  27fsck).
  28
  29It is possible to disable use of replacement references for any
  30command using the `--no-replace-objects` option just after 'git'.
  31
  32For example if commit 'foo' has been replaced by commit 'bar':
  33
  34------------------------------------------------
  35$ git --no-replace-objects cat-file commit foo
  36------------------------------------------------
  37
  38shows information about commit 'foo', while:
  39
  40------------------------------------------------
  41$ git cat-file commit foo
  42------------------------------------------------
  43
  44shows information about commit 'bar'.
  45
  46The 'GIT_NO_REPLACE_OBJECTS' environment variable can be set to
  47achieve the same effect as the `--no-replace-objects` option.
  48
  49OPTIONS
  50-------
  51-f::
  52        If an existing replace ref for the same object exists, it will
  53        be overwritten (instead of failing).
  54
  55-d::
  56        Delete existing replace refs for the given objects.
  57
  58-l <pattern>::
  59        List replace refs for objects that match the given pattern (or
  60        all if no pattern is given).
  61        Typing "git replace" without arguments, also lists all replace
  62        refs.
  63
  64BUGS
  65----
  66Comparing blobs or trees that have been replaced with those that
  67replace them will not work properly. And using `git reset --hard` to
  68go back to a replaced commit will move the branch to the replacement
  69commit instead of the replaced commit.
  70
  71There may be other problems when using 'git rev-list' related to
  72pending objects. And of course things may break if an object of one
  73type is replaced by an object of another type (for example a blob
  74replaced by a commit).
  75
  76SEE ALSO
  77--------
  78linkgit:git-tag[1]
  79linkgit:git-branch[1]
  80linkgit:git[1]
  81
  82GIT
  83---
  84Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite