Git Show
Introduction
The git show command is a versatile tool in Git that allows you to view detailed information about various Git objects. Whether you need to inspect a specific commit, check the contents of a tag, or examine a blob, git show provides a way to access this information directly from your terminal.
It's like having a magnifying glass for your Git repository, letting you see the specific details of various Git objects that might otherwise be hidden within the repository's structure.
Basic Syntax
The basic syntax of the git show command is:
git show [options] <object>
Where <object> can be:
- A commit hash
- A tag
- A tree
- A blob
- A reference (like HEAD, branch names, etc.)
If you don't specify an object, git show defaults to showing the latest commit (HEAD).
Viewing Commits
Viewing the Latest Commit
To view the latest commit in your repository:
git show
Output:
commit a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0k1l2m3n4o5p6q7r8s9t (HEAD -> main)
Author: Your Name <[email protected]>
Date: Fri Mar 14 10:30:00 2025 -0700
Add new feature for user authentication
- Implement login functionality
- Add password reset capability
- Update user profile management
diff --git a/src/auth.js b/src/auth.js
index 1234567..abcdefg 100644
--- a/src/auth.js
+++ b/src/auth.js
@@ -10,6 +10,15 @@ function login(username, password) {
// Existing login code
+ // New authentication code
+ validateCredentials(username, password);
+ createSession(username);
+ return true;
}
+function resetPassword(email) {
+ // Password reset implementation
+ sendResetEmail(email);
+}
+
// Rest of the file
The output shows:
- The commit hash
- The author information
- The commit date
- The commit message
- The diff showing what changes were made in that commit
Viewing a Specific Commit
To view a specific commit, you'll need its hash:
git show a1b2c3d4e5
You don't need to type the entire commit hash—just enough characters to uniquely identify it in your repository.
Viewing Just the Commit Message
If you only want to see the commit message without the diff:
git show --quiet a1b2c3d4e5
or
git show -s a1b2c3d4e5
Viewing File Contents at a Specific Commit
To examine a specific file as it appeared in a particular commit:
git show a1b2c3d4e5:path/to/file.js
Example:
git show HEAD~3:src/components/Button.jsx
This shows the Button.jsx file as it was three commits ago.
Viewing Tags
Git tags are pointers to specific points in Git history, typically used to mark release points.
git show v1.0.0
Output:
tag v1.0.0
Tagger: Your Name <[email protected]>
Date: Thu Mar 13 15:45:00 2025 -0700
Initial stable release
commit b9c8d7e6f5a4b3c2d1e0f9g8h7i6j5k4l3m2n1o
Author: Your Name <[email protected]>
Date: Thu Mar 13 15:40:00 2025 -0700
Prepare for v1.0.0 release
- Update version numbers
- Final bug fixes
- Update documentation
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9876543..0123456 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
{
"name": "my-project",
- "version": "0.9.9",
+ "version": "1.0.0",
...
The output shows both the tag information and the commit that the tag points to.
Formatting Options
Git show has many formatting options to control the output:
Showing Stats
To include a summary of changes (files changed, insertions, deletions):
git show --stat
Output:
commit a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0k1l2m3n4o5p6q7r8s9t (HEAD -> main)
Author: Your Name <[email protected]>
Date: Fri Mar 14 10:30:00 2025 -0700
Add new feature for user authentication
src/auth.js | 15 +++++++++++++++
src/components/Login.jsx | 25 +++++++++++++++++++++++++
src/styles/auth.css | 18 ++++++++++++++++++
3 files changed, 58 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
Showing a Specific Format
You can use the --format option to control exactly what information is displayed:
git show --format="%h - %an, %ar : %s" a1b2c3d4e5
Output:
a1b2c3 - Your Name, 2 days ago : Add new feature for user authentication
Common Format Placeholders
%H: Commit hash%h: Abbreviated commit hash%an: Author name%ae: Author email%ad: Author date%ar: Author date, relative%cn: Committer name%s: Subject (commit message first line)%b: Body (commit message after first line)
Real-World Applications
Code Review
When reviewing code, you might want to see what changes a specific commit introduced:
git show 3f5a2e1 --color-words
This shows the changes with word-level diff highlighting, making it easier to see exactly what changed.
Debugging
When trying to pinpoint when a bug was introduced, you can examine past commits:
git bisect bad # Mark current commit as having the bug
git bisect good v1.0.0 # Mark a known good commit
# Git will help you find the commit that introduced the bug
# Once found, you can examine it:
git show buggy_commit
Release Management
Before creating a release tag, check what will be included:
# View the changes since the last release
git show-branch --more=10 v1.0.0..HEAD
# Then create a new tag for the release
git tag -a v1.1.0 -m "Version 1.1.0 release"
Comparing with Other Git Commands
Here's how git show relates to other Git commands:
git show: View specific objects (commits, tags, etc.)git log: View history of commitsgit diff: View differences between commits, working directory, etc.
Advanced Usage
Showing Merge Commits
Merge commits can be a bit tricky to view. You can use:
git show --first-parent # Show changes relative to first parent
git show -m # Show differences from all parents
Inspecting the Tree Structure
To view the directory structure at a specific commit:
git show --name-only --pretty="format:" a1b2c3d4
This shows just the files that were changed in that commit.
Common Issues and Solutions
Large Diffs
When dealing with large diffs, you might want to limit output:
git show a1b2c3d4 --stat # Just show stats, not the full diff
git show a1b2c3d4 -p --word-diff=color # Show colored word diff
Binary Files
Git doesn't show the contents of binary files by default. You can force it to try:
git show a1b2c3d4:path/to/image.png | imgcat # If you have imgcat installed
Summary
The git show command is a powerful tool for inspecting Git objects:
- It allows you to view detailed information about commits, tags, trees, and blobs
- You can customize the output format to show exactly what you need
- It's essential for tasks like code review, debugging, and understanding repository history
By mastering git show, you gain deeper insight into your Git repository's contents and history, making you more effective at tracking changes and collaborating with others.
Additional Resources
- Official Git Documentation for git-show
- Try the interactive exercises below to practice using
git show
Practice Exercises
- Create a repository and make several commits. Use
git showto view your most recent commit. - Try viewing a specific file from an earlier commit.
- Create a tag and then use
git showto examine it. - Experiment with different formatting options to customize the output.
- Try combining
git showwith other Git commands likegit logto find and then examine specific commits.
If you spot any mistakes on this website, please let me know at [email protected]. I’d greatly appreciate your feedback! :)