? Git History

? Quick Overview

Git History allows you to explore how a project has evolved over time by examining commits, messages, authors, and changes. It helps track progress, debug issues, and understand collaboration flow.

? Key Concepts

• Commits represent snapshots of your project
• Each commit has a unique hash
• Git history is branch-aware
• Logs can be filtered, searched, and visualized

? Syntax & Theory

The primary command for inspecting history is git log. It provides chronological details of commits starting from the most recent.

? Code Examples

// Show complete commit history
git log

// Limit history to last 5 commits
git log -5

// View history with branch graph
git log --graph --oneline

// Search commit messages containing keyword
git log --grep="authentication"

// Show changes introduced in a specific commit
git show <commit-hash>

// Checkout a previous commit temporarily
git checkout <commit-hash>

// View history of a specific file
git log <file-name>

? Live Output / Explanation

The output of Git history commands includes commit hashes, authors, timestamps, and messages. Graph mode visually shows branch merges, making collaboration easier to understand.

? Interactive Example

Try running git log --graph --oneline --all in a repository with multiple branches to visually explore how branches diverge and merge.

?️ Use Cases

• Auditing project changes
• Debugging regressions
• Understanding team contributions
• Reviewing feature evolution