git blame
git
Usage
git blame [-L <start>,<end>] <file>Marks each line with the commit that last changed it; a pure reformat hides the real author, which is what -w and --ignore-rev are for.
Common flags
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -L <a>,<b> | only those lines |
| -w | ignore whitespace, so re-indenting stops hiding the author |
| -C | follow code moved in from another file |
| --ignore-rev <rev> | skip a commit, e.g. a bulk reformat |
| -e | show email addresses instead of names |
| -s | drop the author and date columns |
Examples
git blame -L 40,60 src/app.tswho last touched lines 40 to 60
git blame -w -C src/app.tslooks past whitespace and moved code
git blame --ignore-rev 9f3c2ab src/app.tsignores the commit that reformatted everything
The confusion is that undo has several shapes — moving where a branch points is not the same as adding a commit that reverses it.
How to read this
- Square brackets [ ] mark a part you may leave out.
- An ellipsis … means you can list more than one.
- Flags are case-sensitive — in some commands -r and -R do different things.
Questions
Q. What does git blame do?
Marks each line with the commit that last changed it; a pure reformat hides the real author, which is what -w and --ignore-rev are for.
Q. How do I type it?
git blame [-L <start>,<end>] <file> — square brackets mark the parts you can leave out.
Q. How many flags are worth knowing?
6 are listed here; the full set is in man git. This command sits under git.
Related commands
man page: man git-blame