Unlocking the Power of Git: A Complete Guide to Viewing Commit History, Logs, and Staged Changes

Git is an essential tool for developers, enabling smooth collaboration, version control, and tracking changes over time. However, efficiently navigating and understanding Git’s commit history, file changes, and staged differences can be challenging for beginners and even intermediate users. In this blog, we’ll explore some key commands that help you view commit history, one-line summaries, changes to specific files, and comparisons of staged changes.

1. Viewing Commit History

The commit history is the backbone of any Git repository, providing a timeline of changes and contributions. Use the following command to view the complete commit history:

git log

By default, git log displays commit hashes, author names, dates, and commit messages. However, the output can be overwhelming for large repositories. Let’s refine it:

• Customizing the Log Output: Add --oneline to view a compact history where each commit is shown on a single line:

git log --oneline

• This format includes the commit hash and the first line of the commit message, making it perfect for a quick overview.
• Viewing History by Author…