------------
If `--batch` or `--batch-check` is given, `cat-file` will read objects
-from stdin, one per line, and print information about them.
-
-Each line is considered as a whole object name, and is parsed as if
-given to linkgit:git-rev-parse[1].
+from stdin, one per line, and print information about them. By default,
+the whole line is considered as an object, as if it were fed to
+linkgit:git-rev-parse[1].
You can specify the information shown for each object by using a custom
`<format>`. The `<format>` is copied literally to stdout for each
The size, in bytes, that the object takes up on disk. See the
note about on-disk sizes in the `CAVEATS` section below.
+`deltabase`::
+ If the object is stored as a delta on-disk, this expands to the
+ 40-hex sha1 of the delta base object. Otherwise, expands to the
+ null sha1 (40 zeroes). See `CAVEATS` below.
+
+`rest`::
+ If this atom is used in the output string, input lines are split
+ at the first whitespace boundary. All characters before that
+ whitespace are considered to be the object name; characters
+ after that first run of whitespace (i.e., the "rest" of the
+ line) are output in place of the `%(rest)` atom.
+
If no format is specified, the default format is `%(objectname)
%(objecttype) %(objectsize)`.
responsible for disk usage. The size of a packed non-delta object may be
much larger than the size of objects which delta against it, but the
choice of which object is the base and which is the delta is arbitrary
-and is subject to change during a repack. Note also that multiple copies
-of an object may be present in the object database; in this case, it is
-undefined which copy's size will be reported.
+and is subject to change during a repack.
+Note also that multiple copies of an object may be present in the object
+database; in this case, it is undefined which copy's size or delta base
+will be reported.
GIT
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