Question 1

How do I search the commit history?

Accepted Answer

Use --grep="word" to search commit messages. Use -S "code" to search within the content of changes (pickaxe search). Combine with --author to filter by author.

Question 2

How do I see the files modified in each commit?

Accepted Answer

git log --stat shows the list of modified files with the number of lines added/removed. git log -p shows the full diff for each commit. git log --name-only shows just the file names.

Question 3

What is --oneline?

Accepted Answer

The --oneline option displays each commit on a single line: the short hash (7 characters) followed by the message. It is much more readable than the default output which takes 5-6 lines per commit.

Question 4

How do I see the history of a single file?

Accepted Answer

Type git log -- path/to/file to see only the commits that modified that file. Add -p to see the exact changes at each commit.

Question 5

What is the difference between git log and git reflog?

Accepted Answer

git log shows the commit chain of the current branch (the "official" history). git reflog shows all HEAD movements, including commits lost after a reset or rebase. The reflog is local and temporary.

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Git log: view the commit history

The most useful git log options

Git log in practice

Simple history

Branch graph

Filters and search

The ultimate alias: `git lg`

Related commands

Questions about git log

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