Viewing History

git log                         # Full log: commit, author, date, message
git log --oneline               # Condensed: short SHA + subject line
git log --oneline --graph       # ASCII graph of branches and merges
git log --oneline --graph --all # Include all branches
git log --oneline --decorate    # Show branch/tag labels next to commits
git log --oneline --graph --decorate --all   # All of the above (common alias)
git log -n 5                    # Show only the last 5 commits
git log -5                      # Shorthand
git log --reverse               # Show oldest commits first

git log --format="%H %s"        # Custom format: full SHA + subject
git log --pretty=oneline        # Built-in formats: oneline, short, medium, full, fuller, raw, email
git log --pretty=short
git log --pretty=full
git log --pretty=fuller
git log --pretty=format:"%h - %an, %ar : %s"   # Example custom format

# Pretty one-liner with color
git log --pretty=format:"%C(yellow)%h%Creset %s %C(blue)(%an)%Creset" --all

git log --author="Alice"        # By author name (partial match, regex OK)
git log --author="Alice\|Bob"   # Multiple authors
git log --committer="Alice"     # By committer
git log --grep="fix"            # Subject/body contains "fix" (case-sensitive)
git log --grep="fix" -i         # Case-insensitive grep
git log --all-match --grep="bug" --grep="login"  # Must match all patterns

# By date
git log --since="2024-01-01"
git log --until="2024-06-30"
git log --after="1 week ago"
git log --before="yesterday"
git log --since="2024-01-01" --until="2024-03-01"

# By file
git log -- <file>               # Commits that touched a specific file
git log -- <dir>/               # Commits touching any file in a directory
git log --follow -- <file>      # Follow renames across history

# By content change (pickaxe)
git log -S "functionName"       # Commits that added/removed this string
git log -G "regex.*pattern"     # Commits whose diff matches a regex

# By range
git log <branch1>..<branch2>    # Commits in branch2 not in branch1
git log <sha1>..<sha2>          # Between two commits
git log ^main feature           # Commits in feature reachable but not from main
git log origin/main..HEAD       # Commits not yet pushed to origin/main

git log -p                      # Show full patch for each commit
git log -p <file>               # Patches only for a specific file
git log --stat                  # Show files changed + insertions/deletions summary
git log --shortstat             # More concise stat (one line per commit)
git log --name-only             # Just the names of changed files
git log --name-status           # Changed files with M/A/D status codes
git log --diff-filter=A         # Only commits that Added files
git log --diff-filter=D         # Only commits that Deleted files
git log --diff-filter=M         # Only commits that Modified files
git log --diff-filter=R         # Only commits with Renames
git log --diff-filter=C         # Only commits with Copies

git show                        # Show latest commit + diff
git show <sha>                  # Show a specific commit
git show <sha> --stat           # Summary of changed files
git show <sha>:<file>           # Show file content as of that commit
git show HEAD~3                 # Show commit 3 back from HEAD
git show main~2                 # Show 2 commits before main tip
git show HEAD^                  # Show parent of HEAD
git show HEAD^^                 # Show grandparent of HEAD
git show HEAD^2                 # Show second parent (for merges)
git show v1.2.0                 # Show tag

git diff                        # Unstaged changes
git diff --staged               # Staged changes vs. last commit
git diff HEAD                   # All changes (staged + unstaged) vs. last commit
git diff <sha> <sha>            # Between two commits
git diff main..feature          # Between two branches
git diff main...feature         # From common ancestor to feature tip (three-dot)
git diff HEAD~3..HEAD           # Last 3 commits
git diff -- <file>              # Diff a specific file only
git diff --stat                 # Summary instead of full diff
git diff --word-diff            # Word-level diff (easier for prose)
git diff --color-words          # Highlight changed words inline
git diff -U5                    # Show 5 lines of context (default 3)
git diff --ignore-space-change  # Ignore amount of whitespace change
git diff --ignore-all-space     # Ignore all whitespace
git diff --name-only            # Just the filenames
git diff --name-status          # Filenames with M/A/D codes

git log -S "string"             # Find when a string was added/removed (pickaxe)
git log -G "regex"              # Find when diff matched a regex
git log --all --grep="keyword"  # Search commit messages across all branches
git grep "pattern"              # Search working tree for a pattern
git grep "pattern" <sha>        # Search a specific commit's tree
git grep -n "pattern"           # Show line numbers
git grep -c "pattern"           # Show count per file
git grep -l "pattern"           # List filenames only

git blame <file>                # Show who last changed each line
git blame -L 10,20 <file>       # Blame only lines 10–20
git blame -L 10,+5 <file>       # Blame 5 lines starting at line 10
git blame -w <file>             # Ignore whitespace changes
git blame -M <file>             # Detect moved lines within the file
git blame -C <file>             # Detect lines copied from other files
git blame --since="1 year ago" <file>  # Blame as of a date
git blame <sha> -- <file>       # Blame at a specific commit
git blame -e <file>             # Show email instead of author name

git bisect start                # Start a bisect session
git bisect bad                  # Mark current commit as bad
git bisect good <sha>           # Mark a known-good commit
# Git checks out the midpoint; test it, then:
git bisect good                 # Mark midpoint as good
git bisect bad                  # Mark midpoint as bad
# Repeat until Git identifies the first bad commit
git bisect reset                # End bisect session, return to original HEAD

# Automated bisect with a test script
git bisect run <script>         # Script returns 0=good, 1=bad, 125=skip
git bisect run npm test         # Example: use test suite
git bisect skip                 # Skip a commit (e.g., broken build)
git bisect log                  # Show bisect session history
git bisect replay <file>        # Replay a bisect log

git reflog                      # All recent HEAD positions
git reflog <branch>             # Reflog for a specific branch
git reflog --relative-date      # Human-readable timestamps
git reflog show --all           # All refs