git-rebase.txt: document behavioral differences between modes

There are a variety of aspects that are common to all rebases regardless
of which backend is in use; however, the behavior for these different
aspects varies in ways that could surprise users.  (In fact, it's not
clear -- to me at least -- that these differences were even desirable or
intentional.)  Document these differences.

Signed-off-by: Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

1 files changed, 32 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
index 2f47495a4d..a67df4caba 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
@@ -546,6 +546,38 @@ Other incompatible flag pairs:
  * --rebase-merges and --strategy
  * --rebase-merges and --strategy-option
 
+BEHAVIORAL DIFFERENCES
+-----------------------
+
+ * empty commits:
+
+    am-based rebase will drop any "empty" commits, whether the
+    commit started empty (had no changes relative to its parent to
+    start with) or ended empty (all changes were already applied
+    upstream in other commits).
+
+    merge-based rebase does the same.
+
+    interactive-based rebase will by default drop commits that
+    started empty and halt if it hits a commit that ended up empty.
+    The `--keep-empty` option exists for interactive rebases to allow
+    it to keep commits that started empty.
+
+  * empty commit messages:
+
+    am-based rebase will silently apply commits with empty commit
+    messages.
+
+    merge-based and interactive-based rebases will by default halt
+    on any such commits.  The `--allow-empty-message` option exists to
+    allow interactive-based rebases to apply such commits without
+    halting.
+
+  * directory rename detection:
+
+    merge-based and interactive-based rebases work fine with
+    directory rename detection.  am-based rebases sometimes do not.
+
 include::merge-strategies.txt[]
 
 NOTES