gitrevisions - Linux

Overview

gitrevisions is a versatile command that extracts and prints revision history information from Git repositories. It’s a powerful tool for understanding the evolution of codebases and identifying changes made by different contributors.

Syntax

gitrevisions [options] [<paths>...]

Parameters

  • <paths>: Optional paths to specific files or directories within the repository. If omitted, the command will scan the entire repository.

Options/Flags

  • -a, –author: Filter revisions by author’s name or email address.
  • -b, –before: Limit revisions to those created before a specified date or timestamp.
  • -f, –format: Customize the output format. Available options include short (author and date), medium (author, date, and commit message), and long (full commit message). Default: short.
  • -n, –num-change: Specify the maximum number of changed files to display. Default: 10.
  • -s, –since: Limit revisions to those created after a specified date or timestamp.
  • -w, –warn: Issue a warning if the command is unable to retrieve revision history for any paths.

Examples

Simple Usage

Print a list of recent revisions, grouped by author:

gitrevisions --author=jdoe

Complex Usage

Display a detailed revision history for a specific file, showing only revisions made within the past year:

gitrevisions --format=long --since=1 year --num-change=50 path/to/file.txt

Common Issues

Missing Revision History

If the command fails to retrieve revision history for some paths, check if those paths are in fact within the Git repository. Alternatively, use the --warn option to suppress error messages and provide a warning instead.

Integration

gitrevisions can be combined with other Git commands for advanced tasks. For example:

git log --author=$(gitrevisions --author=jdoe --format=%a)

This command would print a list of all commits made by the author specified in the --author argument of gitrevisions.

Related Commands

  • git log: Display commit history in a detailed, chronological list.
  • git diff: Display differences between files or commits.
  • git blame: Show which lines of code were introduced by each contributor.