cat-file: add a --stdin-cmd mode

index 61a76ce6cb9..7dca04bf7a5 100644
@@ -85,6 +85,29 @@ void strvec_split(struct strvec *array, const char *to_split)
 	}
 }
 
+size_t strvec_split_delim(struct strvec *array, const char *string,
+			  int delim, int maxsplit)
+{
+	size_t count = 0;
+	const char *p = string, *end;
+
+	for (;;) {
+		count++;
+		if (maxsplit >= 0 && count > maxsplit) {
+			strvec_push(array, p);
+			return count;
+		}
+		end = strchr(p, delim);
+		if (end) {
+			strvec_push_nodup(array, xmemdupz(p, end - p));
+			p = end + 1;
+		} else {
+			strvec_push(array, p);
+			return count;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 void strvec_clear(struct strvec *array)
 {
 	if (array->v != empty_strvec) {

index 9f55c8766ba..c474918b91a 100644
@@ -73,6 +73,14 @@ void strvec_pop(struct strvec *);
 /* Splits by whitespace; does not handle quoted arguments! */
 void strvec_split(struct strvec *, const char *);
 
+/**
+ * strvec_split_delim() is a split function that behaves more like its
+ * string_list_split() cousin than the whitespace-splitting
+ * strvec_split().
+ */
+size_t strvec_split_delim(struct strvec *array, const char *string,
+			  int delim, int maxsplit);
+
 /**
  * Free all memory associated with the array and return it to the
  * initial, empty state.

index 7b3f42950ec..f56dbc85388 100644
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "packfile.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
 #include "promisor-remote.h"
+#include "strvec.h"
 
 struct batch_options {
 	int enabled;

@@ -26,7 +27,10 @@ struct batch_options {
 	int unordered;
 	int cmdmode; /* may be 'w' or 'c' for --filters or --textconv */
 	const char *format;
+	int stdin_cmd;
+	int end_null;
 };
+static char line_termination = '\n';
 
 static const char *force_path;
 

@@ -508,6 +512,117 @@ static int batch_unordered_packed(const struct object_id *oid,
 				      data);
 }
 
+enum batch_state {
+	/* Non-transactional state open for commands. */
+	BATCH_STATE_OPEN,
+};
+
+static void parse_cmd_object(struct batch_options *opt,
+			     const int argc, const char **argv,
+			     struct strbuf *output,
+			     struct expand_data *data)
+{
+	batch_one_object(argv[0], output, opt, data);
+}
+
+static void parse_cmd_fflush(struct batch_options *opt,
+			     const int argc, const char **argv,
+			     struct strbuf *output,
+			     struct expand_data *data)
+{
+	fflush(stdout);
+}
+
+typedef void (*parse_cmd_fn_t)(struct batch_options *, const int,
+			       const char **, struct strbuf *,
+			       struct expand_data *);
+
+static const struct parse_cmd {
+	const char *prefix;
+	parse_cmd_fn_t fn;
+	unsigned args;
+	enum batch_state state;
+} command[] = {
+	{ "object", parse_cmd_object, 1, BATCH_STATE_OPEN },
+	{ "fflush", parse_cmd_fflush, 0, BATCH_STATE_OPEN },
+};
+
+static void batch_objects_stdin_cmd(struct batch_options *opt,
+				    struct strbuf *output,
+				    struct expand_data *data)
+{
+	struct strbuf input = STRBUF_INIT;
+	enum batch_state state = BATCH_STATE_OPEN;
+
+	/* Read each line dispatch its command */
+	while (!strbuf_getwholeline(&input, stdin, line_termination)) {
+		int i;
+		const struct parse_cmd *cmd = NULL;
+		struct strvec args = STRVEC_INIT;
+		size_t n;
+		const char *p;
+
+		if (*input.buf == line_termination)
+			die("empty command in input");
+		else if (isspace(*input.buf))
+			die("whitespace before command: %s", input.buf);
+
+		for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(command); i++) {
+			const char *prefix = command[i].prefix;
+			char c;
+
+			if (!starts_with(input.buf, prefix))
+				continue;
+
+			/*
+			 * If the command has arguments, verify that it's
+			 * followed by a space. Otherwise, it shall be followed
+			 * by a line terminator.
+			 */
+			c = command[i].args ? ' ' : line_termination;
+			if (input.buf[strlen(prefix)] != c)
+				continue;
+
+			cmd = &command[i];
+			break;
+		}
+		if (!cmd)
+			die("unknown command: %s", input.buf);
+
+		/*
+		 * Read additional arguments. Do not raise an error in
+		 * case there is an early EOF to let the command
+		 * handle missing arguments with a proper error message
+		 */
+		p = input.buf + strlen(cmd->prefix) + 1;
+		if (*p == line_termination || !*p) {
+			n = 0;
+		} else {
+			const char *pos = strstr(p, "\n");
+			char *str = xstrndup(p, pos - p);
+
+			n = strvec_split_delim(&args, str, ' ', - 1);
+			free(str);
+		}
+		for (i = 0; i < args.nr; i++)
+			fprintf(stderr, "%d: <%s>\n", i, args.v[i]);
+		if (n < cmd->args)
+			die("%s: too few arguments", cmd->prefix);
+		if (n > cmd->args)
+			die("%s: too many arguments", cmd->prefix);
+
+		switch (state) {
+		case BATCH_STATE_OPEN:
+			/* TODO: command state management */
+			break;
+		}
+		cmd->fn(opt, args.nr, args.v, output, data);
+		strvec_clear(&args);
+	}
+
+	strbuf_release(&input);
+}
+
 static int batch_objects(struct batch_options *opt)
 {
 	struct strbuf input = STRBUF_INIT;

@@ -515,6 +630,7 @@ static int batch_objects(struct batch_options *opt)
 	struct expand_data data;
 	int save_warning;
 	int retval = 0;
+	const int stdin_cmd = opt->stdin_cmd;
 
 	if (!opt->format)
 		opt->format = "%(objectname) %(objecttype) %(objectsize)";

@@ -590,7 +706,8 @@ static int batch_objects(struct batch_options *opt)
 	save_warning = warn_on_object_refname_ambiguity;
 	warn_on_object_refname_ambiguity = 0;
 
-	while (strbuf_getline(&input, stdin) != EOF) {
+	while (!stdin_cmd &&
+	       strbuf_getline(&input, stdin) != EOF) {
 		if (data.split_on_whitespace) {
 			/*
 			 * Split at first whitespace, tying off the beginning

@@ -608,6 +725,9 @@ static int batch_objects(struct batch_options *opt)
 		batch_one_object(input.buf, &output, opt, &data);
 	}
 
+	if (stdin_cmd)
+		batch_objects_stdin_cmd(opt, &output, &data);
+
 	strbuf_release(&input);
 	strbuf_release(&output);
 	warn_on_object_refname_ambiguity = save_warning;

@@ -685,6 +805,10 @@ int cmd_cat_file(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			batch_option_callback),
 		OPT_CMDMODE(0, "batch-all-objects", &opt,
 			    N_("with --batch[-check]: ignores stdin, batches all known objects"), 'b'),
+		OPT_BOOL(0, "stdin-cmd", &batch.stdin_cmd,
+			 N_("with --batch[-check]: enters stdin 'command mode")),
+		OPT_BOOL('z', NULL, &batch.end_null, N_("with --stdin-cmd, use NUL termination")),
+
 		/* Batch-specific options */
 		OPT_GROUP(N_("Change or optimize batch output")),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "buffer", &batch.buffer_output, N_("buffer --batch output")),

@@ -738,6 +862,8 @@ int cmd_cat_file(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	/* Batch defaults */
 	if (batch.buffer_output < 0)
 		batch.buffer_output = batch.all_objects;
+	if (batch.end_null)
+		line_termination = '\0';
 
 	/* Return early if we're in batch mode? */
 	if (batch.enabled) {