Git History
What is Git History? Why Use It?
Git keeps a detailed record of every change made to your project.
You can use history commands to see what changed, when, and who made the change.
This is useful for tracking progress, finding bugs, and understanding your project's evolution.
Key Commands for Viewing History
git log- Show full commit historygit log --oneline- Show a summary of commitsgit show <commit>- Show details of a specific commitgit diff- See unstaged changesgit diff --staged- See staged changes
Best Practices for Viewing History
- Make frequent, meaningful commits to keep your history clear.
- Write clear commit messages so you and your team can understand changes later.
- Use
git log --onelinefor a quick overview of your commit history. - Use
git diffbefore committing to review your work.
See Commit History (git log)
Show a detailed list of all commits in your repository:
Example: Full Commit History
git log
commit 9a8cf23957db088dcaf52940261e1537c25e1c2f (HEAD -> main)
Author: W3Schools <test@w3schools.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Updated index.html with a new line
commit ee6f3208cea23ba9776153abf6bd729b0da72e8d
Merge: 1a9b314 4e030be
Author: W3Schools <test@w3schools.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Merge branch 'feature-x'
commit 1a9b31454110f6165135d0c2f066fd763734d98e
Author: Alice <alice@example.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Add about page
commit 4e030be15317040b69ab31f826a47c7ad732af2d (feature-x)
Author: W3Schools <test@w3schools.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Add contact form
commit 09f62be0f26527123f7c10ec948706d32a10c0cf
Author: W3Schools <test@w3schools.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Initial commitThis command shows all commits, including author, date, and message.
Use the arrow keys to scroll, and press q to quit.
Tip: While viewing the log, you can search for a word by typing / followed by your search term
(for example, /fix), then press n to jump to the next match.
Press q at any time to quit.
Show Commit Details (git show <commit>)
See all the details and changes for a specific commit:
Example: Show Commit Details
git show 9a8cf23
commit 9a8cf23957db088dcaf52940261e1537c25e1c2f (HEAD -> main)
Author: W3Schools <test@w3schools.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Updated index.html with a new line
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 597ecf5..c57442b 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
<h1>Hello world!</h1>
+<p>A new line in our file!</p>This command shows everything about a commit: who made it, when, the message, and the exact changes.
Compare Changes (git diff)
See what is different between your working directory and the last commit (unstaged changes):
Example: See Unstaged Changes
git diff
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index c57442b..ae5f439 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-<h1>Hello world!</h1>
+<h1>Hello Git!</h1>
<p>A new line in our file!</p>This command shows changes you have made but not yet staged for commit.
Compare Staged Changes (git diff --staged)
See what is different between your staged files and the last commit:
Example: See Staged Changes
git diff --staged
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index c57442b..ae5f439 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-<h1>Hello world!</h1>
+<h1>Hello Git!</h1>
<p>A new line in our file!</p>This command shows changes that are staged and ready to be committed.
Compare Two Commits (git diff <commit1> <commit2>)
See what changed between any two commits:
Example: Compare Two Commits
git diff ee6f320 9a8cf23
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 597ecf5..c57442b 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
<h1>Hello world!</h1>
+<p>A new line in our file!</p>This command shows the differences between two specific commits.
Show a Summary of Commits (git log --oneline)
Show a short summary of each commit (great for a quick overview):
Example: Oneline Log
git log --oneline
9a8cf23 (HEAD -> main) Updated index.html with a new line
ee6f320 Merge branch 'feature-x'
1a9b314 Add about page
4e030be (feature-x) Add contact form
09f62be Initial commitThis command shows each commit on a single line for easy reading.
Show Commits by Author (git log --author="Alice")
See only the commits made by a specific author:
Example: Commits by Author
git log --author="Alice"
commit 1a9b31454110f6165135d0c2f066fd763734d98e
Author: Alice <alice@example.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Add about pageThis command filters the log to show only commits by the author you specify.
Show Recent Commits (git log --since="2 weeks ago")
See only commits made in the last two weeks:
Example: Recent Commits
git log --since="2 weeks ago"
commit 09f4acd3f8836b7f6fc44ad9e012f82faf861803
Author: w3schools-test <test@w3schools.com>
Date: Fri Mar 26 09:35:54 2021 +0100
Updated index.html with a new lineThis command shows only the commits made in a recent time frame.
Show Files Changed Per Commit (git log --stat)
See which files were changed in each commit and how many lines were added or removed:
Example: Log with Stats
git log --stat
commit 9a8cf23957db088dcaf52940261e1537c25e1c2f (HEAD -> main)
Author: W3Schools <test@w3schools.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Updated index.html with a new line
index.html | 1 +
1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
commit ee6f3208cea23ba9776153abf6bd729b0da72e8d
Merge: 1a9b314 4e030be
Author: W3Schools <test@w3schools.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Merge branch 'feature-x'
commit 1a9b31454110f6165135d0c2f066fd763734d98e
Author: Alice <alice@example.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Add about page
about.html | 1 +
1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
commit 4e030be15317040b69ab31f826a47c7ad732af2d (feature-x)
Author: W3Schools <test@w3schools.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Add contact form
contact.html | 1 +
1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
commit 09f62be0f26527123f7c10ec948706d32a10c0cf
Author: W3Schools <test@w3schools.com>
Date: Wed Jan 15 10:00:00 2025 +0000
Initial commit
index.html | 1 +
1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)This command adds a summary of file changes to each commit in the log.
Show a Branch Graph (git log --graph)
See a simple ASCII graph of your branch history (great for visualizing merges):
Example: Log with Graph
git log --graph --oneline
* 9a8cf23 (HEAD -> main) Updated index.html with a new line
* ee6f320 Merge branch 'feature-x'
|\
| * 4e030be (feature-x) Add contact form
* | 1a9b314 Add about page
|/
* 09f62be Initial commitThis command shows a simple graph of your branch and merge history.
Troubleshooting
- Can't see your changes? Make sure you have committed your work. Uncommitted changes won't appear in the history.
- Log is too long? Use
git log --onelineorgit log --sinceto make it easier to read. - How do I quit the log view? Press q to exit the log or diff view.
Note: Exploring your history helps you understand what changed, when, and why.
