.SH "SYNOPSIS"
.nf
-git\-format\-patch [\-n | \-k] [\-o <dir> | \-\-stdout] [\-s] [\-c] [\-\-mbox]
+\fIgit\-format\-patch\fR [\-n | \-k] [\-o <dir> | \-\-stdout] [\-s] [\-c]
[\-\-diff\-options] <his> [<mine>]
.fi
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
-Prepare each commit with its patch since <mine> head forked from <his> head, one file per patch, for e\-mail submission\&. Each output file is numbered sequentially from 1, and uses the first line of the commit message (massaged for pathname safety) as the filename\&.
+Prepare each commit with its patch since <mine> head forked from <his> head, one file per patch formatted to resemble UNIX mailbox format, for e\-mail submission or use with \fBgit\-am\fR(1)\&.
-When \-o is specified, output files are created in that directory; otherwise in the current working directory\&.
+Each output file is numbered sequentially from 1, and uses the first line of the commit message (massaged for pathname safety) as the filename\&.
-When \-n is specified, instead of "[PATCH] Subject", the first line is formatted as "[PATCH N/M] Subject", unless you have only one patch\&.
+When \-o is specified, output files are created in <dir>; otherwise they are created in the current working directory\&. This option is ignored if \-\-stdout is specified\&.
-When \-\-mbox is specified, the output is formatted to resemble UNIX mailbox format, and can be concatenated together for processing with applymbox\&.
+When \-n is specified, instead of "[PATCH] Subject", the first line is formatted as "[PATCH N/M] Subject", unless you have only one patch\&.
.SH "OPTIONS"
.TP
\-n|\-\-numbered
-Name output in [PATCH n/m] format\&.
+Name output in \fI[PATCH n/m]\fR format\&.
.TP
\-k|\-\-keep\-subject
-Do not strip/add [PATCH] from the first line of the commit log message\&.
-
-.TP
-\-a|\-\-author, \-d|\-\-date
-Output From: and Date: headers for commits made by yourself as well\&. Usually these are output only for commits made by people other than yourself\&.
+Do not strip/add \fI[PATCH]\fR from the first line of the commit log message\&.
.TP
\-s|\-\-signoff
.TP
\-c|\-\-check
-Display suspicious lines in the patch\&. The definition of suspicious lines is currently the lines that has trailing whitespaces, and the lines whose indentation has a SP character immediately followed by a TAB character\&.
-
-.TP
-\-m|\-\-mbox
-Format the output files for closer to mbox format by adding a phony Unix "From " line, so they can be concatenated together and fed to git\-applymbox\&. Implies \-\-author and \-\-date\&.
+Display suspicious lines in the patch\&. The definition of \fIsuspicious lines\fR is currently the lines that has trailing whitespaces, and the lines whose indentation has a SP character immediately followed by a TAB character\&.
.TP
\-\-stdout