1 Commit Formatting
2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4 ifdef::git-rev-list[]
5 Using these options, linkgit:git-rev-list[1] will act similar to the
6 more specialized family of commit log tools: linkgit:git-log[1],
7 linkgit:git-show[1], and linkgit:git-whatchanged[1]
8 endif::git-rev-list[]
10 include::pretty-options.txt[]
12 --relative-date::
14 Synonym for `--date=relative`.
16 --date={relative,local,default,iso,rfc,short}::
18 Only takes effect for dates shown in human-readable format, such
19 as when using "--pretty". `log.date` config variable sets a default
20 value for log command's --date option.
21 +
22 `--date=relative` shows dates relative to the current time,
23 e.g. "2 hours ago".
24 +
25 `--date=local` shows timestamps in user's local timezone.
26 +
27 `--date=iso` (or `--date=iso8601`) shows timestamps in ISO 8601 format.
28 +
29 `--date=rfc` (or `--date=rfc2822`) shows timestamps in RFC 2822
30 format, often found in E-mail messages.
31 +
32 `--date=short` shows only date but not time, in `YYYY-MM-DD` format.
33 +
34 `--date=default` shows timestamps in the original timezone
35 (either committer's or author's).
37 ifdef::git-rev-list[]
38 --header::
40 Print the contents of the commit in raw-format; each record is
41 separated with a NUL character.
42 endif::git-rev-list[]
44 --parents::
46 Print the parents of the commit. Also enables parent
47 rewriting, see 'History Simplification' below.
49 --children::
51 Print the children of the commit. Also enables parent
52 rewriting, see 'History Simplification' below.
54 ifdef::git-rev-list[]
55 --timestamp::
56 Print the raw commit timestamp.
57 endif::git-rev-list[]
59 --left-right::
61 Mark which side of a symmetric diff a commit is reachable from.
62 Commits from the left side are prefixed with `<` and those from
63 the right with `>`. If combined with `--boundary`, those
64 commits are prefixed with `-`.
65 +
66 For example, if you have this topology:
67 +
68 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
69 y---b---b branch B
70 / \ /
71 / .
72 / / \
73 o---x---a---a branch A
74 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
75 +
76 you would get an output like this:
77 +
78 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
79 $ git rev-list --left-right --boundary --pretty=oneline A...B
81 >bbbbbbb... 3rd on b
82 >bbbbbbb... 2nd on b
83 <aaaaaaa... 3rd on a
84 <aaaaaaa... 2nd on a
85 -yyyyyyy... 1st on b
86 -xxxxxxx... 1st on a
87 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
89 --graph::
91 Draw a text-based graphical representation of the commit history
92 on the left hand side of the output. This may cause extra lines
93 to be printed in between commits, in order for the graph history
94 to be drawn properly.
95 +
96 This implies the '--topo-order' option by default, but the
97 '--date-order' option may also be specified.
99 Diff Formatting
100 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
102 Below are listed options that control the formatting of diff output.
103 Some of them are specific to linkgit:git-rev-list[1], however other diff
104 options may be given. See linkgit:git-diff-files[1] for more options.
106 -c::
108 This flag changes the way a merge commit is displayed. It shows
109 the differences from each of the parents to the merge result
110 simultaneously instead of showing pairwise diff between a parent
111 and the result one at a time. Furthermore, it lists only files
112 which were modified from all parents.
114 --cc::
116 This flag implies the '-c' options and further compresses the
117 patch output by omitting uninteresting hunks whose contents in
118 the parents have only two variants and the merge result picks
119 one of them without modification.
121 -r::
123 Show recursive diffs.
125 -t::
127 Show the tree objects in the diff output. This implies '-r'.
129 Commit Limiting
130 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
132 Besides specifying a range of commits that should be listed using the
133 special notations explained in the description, additional commit
134 limiting may be applied.
136 --
138 -n 'number'::
139 --max-count='number'::
141 Limit the number of commits output.
143 --skip='number'::
145 Skip 'number' commits before starting to show the commit output.
147 --since='date'::
148 --after='date'::
150 Show commits more recent than a specific date.
152 --until='date'::
153 --before='date'::
155 Show commits older than a specific date.
157 ifdef::git-rev-list[]
158 --max-age='timestamp'::
159 --min-age='timestamp'::
161 Limit the commits output to specified time range.
162 endif::git-rev-list[]
164 --author='pattern'::
165 --committer='pattern'::
167 Limit the commits output to ones with author/committer
168 header lines that match the specified pattern (regular expression).
170 --grep='pattern'::
172 Limit the commits output to ones with log message that
173 matches the specified pattern (regular expression).
175 -i::
176 --regexp-ignore-case::
178 Match the regexp limiting patterns without regard to letters case.
180 -E::
181 --extended-regexp::
183 Consider the limiting patterns to be extended regular expressions
184 instead of the default basic regular expressions.
186 -F::
187 --fixed-strings::
189 Consider the limiting patterns to be fixed strings (don't interpret
190 pattern as a regular expression).
192 --remove-empty::
194 Stop when a given path disappears from the tree.
196 --no-merges::
198 Do not print commits with more than one parent.
200 --first-parent::
201 Follow only the first parent commit upon seeing a merge
202 commit. This option can give a better overview when
203 viewing the evolution of a particular topic branch,
204 because merges into a topic branch tend to be only about
205 adjusting to updated upstream from time to time, and
206 this option allows you to ignore the individual commits
207 brought in to your history by such a merge.
209 --not::
211 Reverses the meaning of the '{caret}' prefix (or lack thereof)
212 for all following revision specifiers, up to the next '--not'.
214 --all::
216 Pretend as if all the refs in `$GIT_DIR/refs/` are listed on the
217 command line as '<commit>'.
219 ifdef::git-rev-list[]
220 --stdin::
222 In addition to the '<commit>' listed on the command
223 line, read them from the standard input.
225 --quiet::
227 Don't print anything to standard output. This form
228 is primarily meant to allow the caller to
229 test the exit status to see if a range of objects is fully
230 connected (or not). It is faster than redirecting stdout
231 to /dev/null as the output does not have to be formatted.
232 endif::git-rev-list[]
234 --cherry-pick::
236 Omit any commit that introduces the same change as
237 another commit on the "other side" when the set of
238 commits are limited with symmetric difference.
239 +
240 For example, if you have two branches, `A` and `B`, a usual way
241 to list all commits on only one side of them is with
242 `--left-right`, like the example above in the description of
243 that option. It however shows the commits that were cherry-picked
244 from the other branch (for example, "3rd on b" may be cherry-picked
245 from branch A). With this option, such pairs of commits are
246 excluded from the output.
248 -g::
249 --walk-reflogs::
251 Instead of walking the commit ancestry chain, walk
252 reflog entries from the most recent one to older ones.
253 When this option is used you cannot specify commits to
254 exclude (that is, '{caret}commit', 'commit1..commit2',
255 nor 'commit1...commit2' notations cannot be used).
256 +
257 With '\--pretty' format other than oneline (for obvious reasons),
258 this causes the output to have two extra lines of information
259 taken from the reflog. By default, 'commit@\{Nth}' notation is
260 used in the output. When the starting commit is specified as
261 'commit@\{now}', output also uses 'commit@\{timestamp}' notation
262 instead. Under '\--pretty=oneline', the commit message is
263 prefixed with this information on the same line.
264 This option cannot be combined with '\--reverse'.
265 See also linkgit:git-reflog[1].
267 --merge::
269 After a failed merge, show refs that touch files having a
270 conflict and don't exist on all heads to merge.
272 --boundary::
274 Output uninteresting commits at the boundary, which are usually
275 not shown.
277 --
279 History Simplification
280 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
282 When optional paths are given, 'git-rev-list' simplifies commits with
283 various strategies, according to the options you have selected.
285 Suppose you specified `foo` as the <paths>. We shall call commits
286 that modify `foo` !TREESAME, and the rest TREESAME. (In a diff
287 filtered for `foo`, they look different and equal, respectively.)
289 In the following, we will always refer to the same example history to
290 illustrate the differences between simplification settings. We assume
291 that you are filtering for a file `foo` in this commit graph:
292 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
293 .-A---M---N---O---P
294 / / / / /
295 I B C D E
296 \ / / / /
297 `-------------'
298 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
299 The horizontal line of history A--P is taken to be the first parent of
300 each merge. The commits are:
302 * `I` is the initial commit, in which `foo` exists with contents
303 "asdf", and a file `quux` exists with contents "quux". Initial
304 commits are compared to an empty tree, so `I` is !TREESAME.
306 * In `A`, `foo` contains just "foo".
308 * `B` contains the same change as `A`. Its merge `M` is trivial and
309 hence TREESAME to all parents.
311 * `C` does not change `foo`, but its merge `N` changes it to "foobar",
312 so it is not TREESAME to any parent.
314 * `D` sets `foo` to "baz". Its merge `O` combines the strings from
315 `N` and `D` to "foobarbaz"; i.e., it is not TREESAME to any parent.
317 * `E` changes `quux` to "xyzzy", and its merge `P` combines the
318 strings to "quux xyzzy". Despite appearing interesting, `P` is
319 TREESAME to all parents.
321 'rev-list' walks backwards through history, including or excluding
322 commits based on whether '\--full-history' and/or parent rewriting
323 (via '\--parents' or '\--children') are used. The following settings
324 are available.
326 Default mode::
328 Commits are included if they are not TREESAME to any parent
329 (though this can be changed, see '\--sparse' below). If the
330 commit was a merge, and it was TREESAME to one parent, follow
331 only that parent. (Even if there are several TREESAME
332 parents, follow only one of them.) Otherwise, follow all
333 parents.
334 +
335 This results in:
336 +
337 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
338 .-A---N---O
339 / /
340 I---------D
341 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
342 +
343 Note how the rule to only follow the TREESAME parent, if one is
344 available, removed `B` from consideration entirely. `C` was
345 considered via `N`, but is TREESAME. Root commits are compared to an
346 empty tree, so `I` is !TREESAME.
347 +
348 Parent/child relations are only visible with --parents, but that does
349 not affect the commits selected in default mode, so we have shown the
350 parent lines.
352 --full-history without parent rewriting::
354 This mode differs from the default in one point: always follow
355 all parents of a merge, even if it is TREESAME to one of them.
356 Even if more than one side of the merge has commits that are
357 included, this does not imply that the merge itself is! In
358 the example, we get
359 +
360 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
361 I A B N D O
362 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
363 +
364 `P` and `M` were excluded because they are TREESAME to a parent. `E`,
365 `C` and `B` were all walked, but only `B` was !TREESAME, so the others
366 do not appear.
367 +
368 Note that without parent rewriting, it is not really possible to talk
369 about the parent/child relationships between the commits, so we show
370 them disconnected.
372 --full-history with parent rewriting::
374 Ordinary commits are only included if they are !TREESAME
375 (though this can be changed, see '\--sparse' below).
376 +
377 Merges are always included. However, their parent list is rewritten:
378 Along each parent, prune away commits that are not included
379 themselves. This results in
380 +
381 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
382 .-A---M---N---O---P
383 / / / / /
384 I B / D /
385 \ / / / /
386 `-------------'
387 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
388 +
389 Compare to '\--full-history' without rewriting above. Note that `E`
390 was pruned away because it is TREESAME, but the parent list of P was
391 rewritten to contain `E`'s parent `I`. The same happened for `C` and
392 `N`. Note also that `P` was included despite being TREESAME.
394 In addition to the above settings, you can change whether TREESAME
395 affects inclusion:
397 --dense::
399 Commits that are walked are included if they are not TREESAME
400 to any parent.
402 --sparse::
404 All commits that are walked are included.
405 +
406 Note that without '\--full-history', this still simplifies merges: if
407 one of the parents is TREESAME, we follow only that one, so the other
408 sides of the merge are never walked.
410 Finally, there is a fourth simplification mode available:
412 --simplify-merges::
414 First, build a history graph in the same way that
415 '\--full-history' with parent rewriting does (see above).
416 +
417 Then simplify each commit `C` to its replacement `C'` in the final
418 history according to the following rules:
419 +
420 --
421 * Set `C'` to `C`.
422 +
423 * Replace each parent `P` of `C'` with its simplification `P'`. In
424 the process, drop parents that are ancestors of other parents, and
425 remove duplicates.
426 +
427 * If after this parent rewriting, `C'` is a root or merge commit (has
428 zero or >1 parents), a boundary commit, or !TREESAME, it remains.
429 Otherwise, it is replaced with its only parent.
430 --
431 +
432 The effect of this is best shown by way of comparing to
433 '\--full-history' with parent rewriting. The example turns into:
434 +
435 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
436 .-A---M---N---O
437 / / /
438 I B D
439 \ / /
440 `---------'
441 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
442 +
443 Note the major differences in `N` and `P` over '\--full-history':
444 +
445 --
446 * `N`'s parent list had `I` removed, because it is an ancestor of the
447 other parent `M`. Still, `N` remained because it is !TREESAME.
448 +
449 * `P`'s parent list similarly had `I` removed. `P` was then
450 removed completely, because it had one parent and is TREESAME.
451 --
453 ifdef::git-rev-list[]
454 Bisection Helpers
455 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
457 --bisect::
459 Limit output to the one commit object which is roughly halfway between
460 the included and excluded commits. Thus, if
462 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
463 $ git-rev-list --bisect foo ^bar ^baz
464 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
466 outputs 'midpoint', the output of the two commands
468 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
469 $ git-rev-list foo ^midpoint
470 $ git-rev-list midpoint ^bar ^baz
471 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
473 would be of roughly the same length. Finding the change which
474 introduces a regression is thus reduced to a binary search: repeatedly
475 generate and test new 'midpoint's until the commit chain is of length
476 one.
478 --bisect-vars::
480 This calculates the same as `--bisect`, but outputs text ready
481 to be eval'ed by the shell. These lines will assign the name of
482 the midpoint revision to the variable `bisect_rev`, and the
483 expected number of commits to be tested after `bisect_rev` is
484 tested to `bisect_nr`, the expected number of commits to be
485 tested if `bisect_rev` turns out to be good to `bisect_good`,
486 the expected number of commits to be tested if `bisect_rev`
487 turns out to be bad to `bisect_bad`, and the number of commits
488 we are bisecting right now to `bisect_all`.
490 --bisect-all::
492 This outputs all the commit objects between the included and excluded
493 commits, ordered by their distance to the included and excluded
494 commits. The farthest from them is displayed first. (This is the only
495 one displayed by `--bisect`.)
497 This is useful because it makes it easy to choose a good commit to
498 test when you want to avoid to test some of them for some reason (they
499 may not compile for example).
501 This option can be used along with `--bisect-vars`, in this case,
502 after all the sorted commit objects, there will be the same text as if
503 `--bisect-vars` had been used alone.
504 endif::git-rev-list[]
507 Commit Ordering
508 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
510 By default, the commits are shown in reverse chronological order.
512 --topo-order::
514 This option makes them appear in topological order (i.e.
515 descendant commits are shown before their parents).
517 --date-order::
519 This option is similar to '--topo-order' in the sense that no
520 parent comes before all of its children, but otherwise things
521 are still ordered in the commit timestamp order.
523 --reverse::
525 Output the commits in reverse order.
526 Cannot be combined with '\--walk-reflogs'.
528 Object Traversal
529 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
531 These options are mostly targeted for packing of git repositories.
533 --objects::
535 Print the object IDs of any object referenced by the listed
536 commits. '--objects foo ^bar' thus means "send me
537 all object IDs which I need to download if I have the commit
538 object 'bar', but not 'foo'".
540 --objects-edge::
542 Similar to '--objects', but also print the IDs of excluded
543 commits prefixed with a "-" character. This is used by
544 linkgit:git-pack-objects[1] to build "thin" pack, which records
545 objects in deltified form based on objects contained in these
546 excluded commits to reduce network traffic.
548 --unpacked::
550 Only useful with '--objects'; print the object IDs that are not
551 in packs.
553 --no-walk::
555 Only show the given revs, but do not traverse their ancestors.
557 --do-walk::
559 Overrides a previous --no-walk.