compile commit messages between tags or branches for making release notes

When we go to build a release, we often have to click on every single commits between the commit of the previous release and commit we plan to release. For each one we copy the commit message and paste it into a text document. After that we massage the text so that we can capture all changes and bug fixes. Could be many commits if lots of people working on a project. Would be nice if you could select two commits and click "compile commit messages". Then a text file would be generated with the commit messages of all the commits between the two commits one after another.

You already can select the commits and select Copy Message in SmartGit 8.1.

All at once? I just tried selecting a bunch of commits together and "copy message" is greyed out. It only seems to work if I select one commit at a time.

Please try Help | Check for Latest Build in the SmartGit 8.1 preview

Perhaps this doesn't work on mac yet? When I check for latest build and download it, it gets 8.0.3, build date Nov 15, 2015.

Oh I see, I have to download the preview version first. Ok cool, thanks!

Works. The only inconvenient part of it is that it seems that if there are abandoned or test branches that don't reconnect to head, I can't *not* select them without going in and hiding them all. That's why I wanted to show messages between two commits (assuming they were related).

Most likely this task best is suited for using a script to be integrated into SmartGit as external tool.

Fair enough. I don't mind hiding the branches until someone makes such an external tool ;-) Great update anyway!

P.s. there's already a git command that does what I'm asking for: git log --pretty=oneline <first tag name>...<second tag name>

I've created a git-changelog.sh with following content:

#!/bin/bash
git log --pretty=oneline $1..$2 > $3

and configured it in SmartGit:

That's great!