git show files changed in commit

Guri Bee

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17-10-2024

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Unveiling the Changes: How to See Files Modified in a Git Commit

Git, the powerful version control system, allows developers to track changes in their code over time. But how do you pinpoint exactly which files were modified in a specific commit? This is where the git show command comes into play.

Understanding the git show Command

The git show command is a versatile tool that provides detailed information about a specific commit. It can be used to display:

• Commit message: The message written by the developer when they created the commit.
• Author and committer: The details of who made the commit and when it was made.
• Diff: A detailed comparison of the changes made between the current commit and its parent commit.

Displaying Files Modified in a Commit

To view the list of files modified in a commit, you can use the following command:

git show <commit-hash> --name-only

Example:

Let's say you want to see the files changed in commit d123456789abcdef0:

git show d123456789abcdef0 --name-only

This command will output a list of filenames that were modified in the commit.

Going Beyond the Filenames

While the --name-only option gives you the filenames, you might want to see the actual changes made. For this, you can use:

git show <commit-hash>

This command will display the full diff, showing the lines added, deleted, or changed in each file.

Example:

git show d123456789abcdef0

This command will show the commit message, author, and a detailed diff of all changes made in the commit.

Tips and Tricks

• Viewing specific files: You can use the --stat flag to get a summary of the changes made to each file, including the number of lines added, deleted, and changed. For example:

git show d123456789abcdef0 --stat

• Shortened commit hash: You can use a shortened version of the commit hash as long as it's unique within your repository.

• Using git log: The git log command can be used to list commits and their associated changes. You can use the -p flag to show the diff for each commit, or --stat for a summary.

Example Scenarios

1. Debugging a Bug: If you're trying to track down the origin of a bug, you can use git show to look at the changes made in the commit where the bug was introduced.

2. Understanding a Feature: If you're reviewing a new feature, you can use git show to examine the changes made in each commit and understand how the feature was developed.

3. Collaborating on a Project: When working with others, you can use git show to review their changes before merging their branch into yours.

Conclusion

The git show command is a powerful tool for understanding the history of your project. By using it to examine the changes made in specific commits, you can gain valuable insights into the development process, track down issues, and collaborate more effectively with your team.

Note: This article is based on information available in the Git documentation and various online resources. Please refer to the official Git documentation for the most up-to-date information and advanced usage.