diff --git a/t/t7401-submodule-summary.sh b/t/t7401-submodule-summary.sh
index 9bc841d085..cc87d26619 100755
--- a/t/t7401-submodule-summary.sh
+++ b/t/t7401-submodule-summary.sh
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@
 
 test_description='Summary support for submodules
 
-This test tries to verify the sanity of summary subcommand of git submodule.
+This test script tries to verify the sanity of summary subcommand of git submodule.
 '
+# NEEDSWORK: This test script is old fashioned and may need a big cleanup due to
+# various reasons, one of them being that there are lots of commands taking place
+# outside of 'test_expect_success' block, which is no longer in good-style.
 
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
@@ -16,12 +19,12 @@ add_file () {
 	owd=$(pwd)
 	cd "$sm"
 	for name; do
-		echo "$name" > "$name" &&
+		echo "$name" >"$name" &&
 		git add "$name" &&
 		test_tick &&
 		git commit -m "Add $name"
 	done >/dev/null
-	git rev-parse --verify HEAD | cut -c1-7
+	git rev-parse --short HEAD
 	cd "$owd"
 }
 commit_file () {
@@ -38,10 +41,10 @@ test_expect_success 'added submodule' "
 	git add sm1 &&
 	git submodule summary >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 0000000...$head1 (2):
-  > Add foo2
+	* sm1 0000000...$head1 (2):
+	  > Add foo2
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
@@ -52,10 +55,10 @@ test_expect_success 'added submodule (subdirectory)' "
 		git submodule summary >../actual
 	) &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* ../sm1 0000000...$head1 (2):
-  > Add foo2
+	* ../sm1 0000000...$head1 (2):
+	  > Add foo2
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
@@ -73,10 +76,10 @@ test_expect_success 'added submodule (subdirectory with explicit path)' "
 		git submodule summary ../sm1 >../actual
 	) &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* ../sm1 0000000...$head1 (2):
-  > Add foo2
+	* ../sm1 0000000...$head1 (2):
+	  > Add foo2
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
@@ -86,20 +89,20 @@ head2=$(add_file sm1 foo3)
 test_expect_success 'modified submodule(forward)' "
 	git submodule summary >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head1...$head2 (1):
-  > Add foo3
+	* sm1 $head1...$head2 (1):
+	  > Add foo3
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
 test_expect_success 'modified submodule(forward), --files' "
 	git submodule summary --files >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head1...$head2 (1):
-  > Add foo3
+	* sm1 $head1...$head2 (1):
+	  > Add foo3
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
@@ -110,10 +113,10 @@ test_expect_success 'no ignore=all setting has any effect' "
 	git config diff.ignoreSubmodules all &&
 	git submodule summary >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head1...$head2 (1):
-  > Add foo3
+	* sm1 $head1...$head2 (1):
+	  > Add foo3
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual &&
 	git config --unset diff.ignoreSubmodules &&
 	git config --remove-section submodule.sm1 &&
@@ -125,17 +128,17 @@ commit_file sm1 &&
 head3=$(
 	cd sm1 &&
 	git reset --hard HEAD~2 >/dev/null &&
-	git rev-parse --verify HEAD | cut -c1-7
+	git rev-parse --short HEAD
 )
 
 test_expect_success 'modified submodule(backward)' "
 	git submodule summary >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head2...$head3 (2):
-  < Add foo3
-  < Add foo2
+	* sm1 $head2...$head3 (2):
+	  < Add foo3
+	  < Add foo2
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
@@ -144,25 +147,25 @@ head4_full=$(GIT_DIR=sm1/.git git rev-parse --verify HEAD)
 test_expect_success 'modified submodule(backward and forward)' "
 	git submodule summary >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head2...$head4 (4):
-  > Add foo5
-  > Add foo4
-  < Add foo3
-  < Add foo2
+	* sm1 $head2...$head4 (4):
+	  > Add foo5
+	  > Add foo4
+	  < Add foo3
+	  < Add foo2
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
 test_expect_success '--summary-limit' "
 	git submodule summary -n 3 >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head2...$head4 (4):
-  > Add foo5
-  > Add foo4
-  < Add foo3
+	* sm1 $head2...$head4 (4):
+	  > Add foo5
+	  > Add foo4
+	  < Add foo3
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
@@ -177,21 +180,21 @@ mv sm1-bak sm1
 test_expect_success 'typechanged submodule(submodule->blob), --cached' "
 	git submodule summary --cached >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head4(submodule)->$head5(blob) (3):
-  < Add foo5
+	* sm1 $head4(submodule)->$head5(blob) (3):
+	  < Add foo5
 
-EOF
-	test_i18ncmp actual expected
+	EOF
+	test_i18ncmp expected actual
 "
 
 test_expect_success 'typechanged submodule(submodule->blob), --files' "
 	git submodule summary --files >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head5(blob)->$head4(submodule) (3):
-  > Add foo5
+	* sm1 $head5(blob)->$head4(submodule) (3):
+	  > Add foo5
 
-EOF
-	test_i18ncmp actual expected
+	EOF
+	test_i18ncmp expected actual
 "
 
 rm -rf sm1 &&
@@ -199,10 +202,10 @@ git checkout-index sm1
 test_expect_success 'typechanged submodule(submodule->blob)' "
 	git submodule summary >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head4(submodule)->$head5(blob):
+	* sm1 $head4(submodule)->$head5(blob):
 
-EOF
-	test_i18ncmp actual expected
+	EOF
+	test_i18ncmp expected actual
 "
 
 rm -f sm1 &&
@@ -211,21 +214,21 @@ head6=$(add_file sm1 foo6 foo7)
 test_expect_success 'nonexistent commit' "
 	git submodule summary >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head4...$head6:
-  Warn: sm1 doesn't contain commit $head4_full
+	* sm1 $head4...$head6:
+	  Warn: sm1 doesn't contain commit $head4_full
 
-EOF
-	test_i18ncmp actual expected
+	EOF
+	test_i18ncmp expected actual
 "
 
 commit_file
 test_expect_success 'typechanged submodule(blob->submodule)' "
 	git submodule summary >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head5(blob)->$head6(submodule) (2):
-  > Add foo7
+	* sm1 $head5(blob)->$head6(submodule) (2):
+	  > Add foo7
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_i18ncmp expected actual
 "
 
@@ -234,9 +237,9 @@ rm -rf sm1
 test_expect_success 'deleted submodule' "
 	git submodule summary >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head6...0000000:
+	* sm1 $head6...0000000:
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
@@ -249,22 +252,22 @@ test_expect_success 'create second submodule' '
 test_expect_success 'multiple submodules' "
 	git submodule summary >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head6...0000000:
+	* sm1 $head6...0000000:
 
-* sm2 0000000...$head7 (2):
-  > Add foo9
+	* sm2 0000000...$head7 (2):
+	  > Add foo9
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
 test_expect_success 'path filter' "
 	git submodule summary sm2 >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm2 0000000...$head7 (2):
-  > Add foo9
+	* sm2 0000000...$head7 (2):
+	  > Add foo9
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
@@ -272,24 +275,24 @@ commit_file sm2
 test_expect_success 'given commit' "
 	git submodule summary HEAD^ >actual &&
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
-* sm1 $head6...0000000:
+	* sm1 $head6...0000000:
 
-* sm2 0000000...$head7 (2):
-  > Add foo9
+	* sm2 0000000...$head7 (2):
+	  > Add foo9
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 "
 
 test_expect_success '--for-status' "
 	git submodule summary --for-status HEAD^ >actual &&
-	test_i18ncmp actual - <<EOF
-* sm1 $head6...0000000:
+	test_i18ncmp - actual <<-EOF
+	* sm1 $head6...0000000:
 
-* sm2 0000000...$head7 (2):
-  > Add foo9
+	* sm2 0000000...$head7 (2):
+	  > Add foo9
 
-EOF
+	EOF
 "
 
 test_expect_success 'fail when using --files together with --cached' "