git-rev-list - Linux

Overview

git-rev-list displays the commit history of a repository or a specified commit range. It provides a list of commits, each represented by its commit ID (SHA-1 hash). This command is useful for exploring the history of your project, finding specific commits, and generating input for other Git commands.

Syntax

git rev-list [<options>] [<rev-list-spec>]

Options/Flags

-n : Limit the output to the specified number of commits.
–[no-]decorate: Display commit summaries in a decorated or plain format. Default is true (decorated).
–[no-]simplify-by-decoration: Simplify decorated commits by ignoring submodules and untracked files. Default is true (simplify).
–max-count=: Limit the maximum number of commits to be shown.
–cherry-pick: Show only the commits that are not present in the current branch.
–remotes: Include commits from remote branches.
–all: Show all commits, not limited to the specified range.
–boundary: Treat the specified commit as a boundary and only show commits before or after it.
–until=: Display commits up to, but not including, the specified commit.
–since=: Display commits since, but not including, the specified commit.
–count: Display only the count of commits matching the specified criteria.
–first-parent: Follow only the first parent of each commit.

Examples

Display the last 10 commits in the history:
```
git rev-list -n 10
```
Show a list of all commits with simplified summaries:
```
git rev-list --no-decorate
```
Display commits that are not in the current branch:
```
git rev-list --cherry-pick
```
Get the list of commits from the remote master branch:
```
git rev-list remotes/origin/master
```

Common Issues

No output: Verify that the specified commit range is valid and exists in the repository.
Too many commits: Use the --max-count option to limit the output or specify a specific commit range.
Unexpected commit order: Remember that commits are listed in reverse chronological order. Use the --reverse option to change the order.

Integration

git-rev-list can be combined with other commands to perform more complex tasks. For example:

Generate a list of commits and pipe it to git show to display the full commit summaries:
```
git rev-list | git show
```
Use git-rev-list as input for git cherry-pick to select the commits to cherry-pick:
```
git cherry-pick -n $(git rev-list --cherry-pick)
```

Related Commands

git log: Display the commit history in a more user-friendly format.
git whatchanged: Show the changes between two commits.
git diff: Compare the contents of two commits.