technical/api-history-graph.txt

history graph API
=================

The graph API is used to draw a text-based representation of the commit
history. The API generates the graph in a line-by-line fashion.

Functions
---------

Core functions:

* `graph_init()` creates a new `struct git_graph`

* `graph_release()` destroys a `struct git_graph`, and frees the memory
 associated with it.

* `graph_update()` moves the graph to a new commit.

* `graph_next_line()` outputs the next line of the graph into a strbuf. It
 does not add a terminating newline.

* `graph_padding_line()` outputs a line of vertical padding in the graph. It
 is similar to `graph_next_line()`, but is guaranteed to never print the line
 containing the current commit. Where `graph_next_line()` would print the
 commit line next, `graph_padding_line()` prints a line that simply extends
 all branch lines downwards one row, leaving their positions unchanged.

* `graph_is_commit_finished()` determines if the graph has output all lines
 necessary for the current commit. If `graph_update()` is called before all
 lines for the current commit have been printed, the next call to
 `graph_next_line()` will output an ellipsis, to indicate that a portion of
 the graph was omitted.

The following utility functions are wrappers around `graph_next_line()` and
`graph_is_commit_finished()`. They always print the output to stdout.
They can all be called with a NULL graph argument, in which case no graph
output will be printed.

* `graph_show_commit()` calls `graph_next_line()` until it returns non-zero.
 This prints all graph lines up to, and including, the line containing this
 commit. Output is printed to stdout. The last line printed does not contain
 a terminating newline. This should not be called if the commit line has
 already been printed, or it will loop forever.

* `graph_show_oneline()` calls `graph_next_line()` and prints the result to
 stdout. The line printed does not contain a terminating newline.

* `graph_show_padding()` calls `graph_padding_line()` and prints the result to
 stdout. The line printed does not contain a terminating newline.

* `graph_show_remainder()` calls `graph_next_line()` until
 `graph_is_commit_finished()` returns non-zero. Output is printed to stdout.
 The last line printed does not contain a terminating newline. Returns 1 if
 output was printed, and 0 if no output was necessary.

* `graph_show_strbuf()` prints the specified strbuf to stdout, prefixing all
 lines but the first with a graph line. The caller is responsible for
 ensuring graph output for the first line has already been printed to stdout.
 (This can be done with `graph_show_commit()` or `graph_show_oneline()`.) If
 a NULL graph is supplied, the strbuf is printed as-is.

* `graph_show_commit_msg()` is similar to `graph_show_strbuf()`, but it also
 prints the remainder of the graph, if more lines are needed after the strbuf
 ends. It is better than directly calling `graph_show_strbuf()` followed by
 `graph_show_remainder()` since it properly handles buffers that do not end in
 a terminating newline. The output printed by `graph_show_commit_msg()` will
 end in a newline if and only if the strbuf ends in a newline.

Data structure
--------------
`struct git_graph` is an opaque data type used to store the current graph
state.

Calling sequence
----------------

* Create a `struct git_graph` by calling `graph_init()`. When using the
 revision walking API, this is done automatically by `setup_revisions()` if
 the '--graph' option is supplied.

* Use the revision walking API to walk through a group of contiguous commits.
 The `get_revision()` function automatically calls `graph_update()` each time
 it is invoked.

* For each commit, call `graph_next_line()` repeatedly, until
 `graph_is_commit_finished()` returns non-zero. Each call go
 `graph_next_line()` will output a single line of the graph. The resulting
 lines will not contain any newlines. `graph_next_line()` returns 1 if the
 resulting line contains the current commit, or 0 if this is merely a line
 needed to adjust the graph before or after the current commit. This return
 value can be used to determine where to print the commit summary information
 alongside the graph output.

Limitations
-----------

* `graph_update()` must be called with commits in topological order. It should
 not be called on a commit if it has already been invoked with an ancestor of
 that commit, or the graph output will be incorrect.

* `graph_update()` must be called on a contiguous group of commits. If
 `graph_update()` is called on a particular commit, it should later be called
 on all parents of that commit. Parents must not be skipped, or the graph
 output will appear incorrect.
+
`graph_update()` may be used on a pruned set of commits only if the parent list
has been rewritten so as to include only ancestors from the pruned set.

* The graph API does not currently support reverse commit ordering. In
 order to implement reverse ordering, the graphing API needs an
 (efficient) mechanism to find the children of a commit.

Sample usage
------------

------------
struct commit *commit;
struct git_graph *graph = graph_init(opts);

while ((commit = get_revision(opts)) != NULL) {
graph_update(graph, commit);
while (!graph_is_commit_finished(graph))
{
struct strbuf sb;
int is_commit_line;

strbuf_init(&sb, 0);
is_commit_line = graph_next_line(graph, &sb);
fputs(sb.buf, stdout);

if (is_commit_line)
log_tree_commit(opts, commit);
else
putchar(opts->diffopt.line_termination);
}
}

graph_release(graph);
------------

Sample output
-------------

The following is an example of the output from the graph API. This output does
not include any commit summary information--callers are responsible for
outputting that information, if desired.

------------
*
*
M
|\
* |
| | *
| \ \
| \ \
M-. \ \
|\ \ \ \
| | * | |
| | | | | *
| | | | | *
| | | | | M
| | | | | |\
| | | | | | *
| * | | | | |
| | | | | M \
| | | | | |\ |
| | | | * | | |
| | | | * | | |
* | | | | | | |
| |/ / / / / /
|/| / / / / /
* | | | | | |
|/ / / / / /
* | | | | |
| | | | | *
| | | | |/
| | | | *
------------