How to use the command 'wiggle' (with examples)
Wiggle is a patch application tool that provides a solution for conflicts in patches that ‘patch’ command cannot handle. It forcefully applies all changes, merges conflicts, and reports any unresolvable issues.
Use case 1: Apply changes from the patch file to the original file
Code:
wiggle path/to/my_patch.patch
Motivation: This use case is useful when you have a patch file that contains changes to be applied to the original file. By using the ‘wiggle’ command, you can easily apply those changes and update the original file accordingly.
Explanation: The command ‘wiggle path/to/my_patch.patch’ applies the changes specified in ‘my_patch.patch’ to the original file. The ‘path/to/my_patch.patch’ argument points to the patch file that contains the changes.
Example output: The original file will be updated with the changes specified in the patch file.
Use case 2: Apply changes to the output file
Code:
wiggle path/to/my_patch.patch -o path/to/output_file.txt
Motivation: Sometimes, you may want to apply changes from a patch file to a specific output file rather than the original file. This use case allows you to specify the output file for the changes to be applied.
Explanation: The command ‘wiggle path/to/my_patch.patch -o path/to/output_file.txt’ applies the changes from ‘my_patch.patch’ to ‘output_file.txt’. The ‘-o’ option specifies the output file where changes will be applied.
Example output: The ‘output_file.txt’ will be updated with the changes specified in the patch file.
Use case 3: Merge unapplied changes from .rej file into a file
Code:
wiggle --replace path/to/file path/to/file.rej
Motivation: When applying a patch file, there might be some changes that cannot be applied and are stored in a .rej file. This use case allows you to merge those unapplied changes into a file manually.
Explanation: The command ‘wiggle –replace path/to/file path/to/file.rej’ merges the changes from ‘file.rej’ into ‘file’. The ‘–replace’ option specifies that the changes should be replaced in the original file.
Example output: The changes from ‘file.rej’ will be merged into ‘file’ to manually resolve the conflicts.
Use case 4: Extract one branch of a patch or merge file
Code:
wiggle -x path/to/my_patch.patch
Motivation: In some cases, you may only want to extract one branch or side of a patch or merge file. This use case allows you to extract a specific branch from the file.
Explanation: The command ‘wiggle -x path/to/my_patch.patch’ extracts one branch of ‘my_patch.patch’. The ‘-x’ option specifies that you want to extract a branch from the file.
Example output: The specified branch of ‘my_patch.patch’ will be extracted.
Use case 5: Apply a patch and save the compared words to the output file
Code:
wiggle --words path/to/my_word_patch.patch -o path/to/word_patched_code.c
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to apply a patch and also view the compared words between the original and patched code.
Explanation: The command ‘wiggle –words path/to/my_word_patch.patch -o path/to/word_patched_code.c’ applies the changes from ‘my_word_patch.patch’ to ‘word_patched_code.c’ and saves the compared words between the original and patched code. The ‘–words’ option enables the comparison of words.
Example output: The ‘word_patched_code.c’ file will be updated with the changes specified in the patch file, and the compared words will be saved.
Use case 6: Display help about the merge function
Code:
wiggle --merge --help
Motivation: When you need assistance or more information about the merge function of Wiggle, this use case allows you to access the help documentation.
Explanation: The command ‘wiggle –merge –help’ displays the help information related to the merge function of Wiggle. The ‘–merge’ option specifies the merge function, and ‘–help’ option provides the help documentation.
Example output: The help documentation regarding the merge function will be displayed.
Conclusion:
The ‘wiggle’ command provides a powerful solution for applying patch files, resolving conflicts, and merging changes. With its various options, you can apply changes to different files, extract specific branches, and view compared words between original and patched code. Additionally, the ‘wiggle’ command offers a helpful merge function with documentation to facilitate the patch application process.
