git-format-patch -3

This teaches "git-format-patch" to honor the --max-count
parameter revision traversal machinery takes, so that you can
say "git-format-patch -3" to process the three topmost commits
from the current HEAD (or "git-format-patch -2 topic" to name a
specific branch).
Signed-off-by: NJunio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>

Documentation/git-format-patch.txt

@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ git-format-patch -M -B origin::
 	understand renaming patches, so use it only when you know
 	the recipient uses git to apply your patch.
 
+git-format-patch -3::
+	Extract three topmost commits from the current branch
+	and format them as e-mailable patches.
 
 See Also
 --------

builtin-log.c

@@ -482,8 +482,13 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	}
 
 	if (rev.pending.nr == 1) {
-		rev.pending.objects[0].item->flags |= UNINTERESTING;
-		add_head(&rev);
+		if (rev.max_count < 0) {
+			rev.pending.objects[0].item->flags |= UNINTERESTING;
+			add_head(&rev);
+		}
+		/* Otherwise, it is "format-patch -22 HEAD", and
+		 * get_revision() would return only the specified count.
+		 */
 	}
 
 	if (ignore_if_in_upstream)