Synonym for `--date=relative`.
---date={relative,local,default,iso,rfc}::
+--date={relative,local,default,iso,rfc,short}::
Only takes effect for dates shown in human-readable format, such
- as when using "--pretty".
+ as when using "--pretty". `log.date` config variable sets a default
+ value for log command's --date option.
+
`--date=relative` shows dates relative to the current time,
e.g. "2 hours ago".
`--date=default` shows timestamps in the original timezone
(either committer's or author's).
+ifdef::git-rev-list[]
--header::
Print the contents of the commit in raw-format; each record is
separated with a NUL character.
+endif::git-rev-list[]
--parents::
- Print the parents of the commit.
+ Print the parents of the commit. Also enables parent
+ rewriting, see 'History Simplification' below.
+
+--children::
+ Print the children of the commit. Also enables parent
+ rewriting, see 'History Simplification' below.
+
+ifdef::git-rev-list[]
--timestamp::
Print the raw commit timestamp.
+endif::git-rev-list[]
--left-right::
o---x---a---a branch A
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
-you would get an output line this:
+you would get an output like this:
+
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
$ git rev-list --left-right --boundary --pretty=oneline A...B
This implies the '--topo-order' option by default, but the
'--date-order' option may also be specified.
+ifndef::git-rev-list[]
Diff Formatting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--cc::
This flag implies the '-c' options and further compresses the
- patch output by omitting hunks that show differences from only
- one parent, or show the same change from all but one parent for
- an Octopus merge.
+ patch output by omitting uninteresting hunks whose contents in
+ the parents have only two variants and the merge result picks
+ one of them without modification.
-r::
-t::
Show the tree objects in the diff output. This implies '-r'.
+endif::git-rev-list[]
Commit Limiting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--
--n 'number', --max-count='number'::
+-n 'number'::
+--max-count='number'::
Limit the number of commits output.
Skip 'number' commits before starting to show the commit output.
---since='date', --after='date'::
+--since='date'::
+--after='date'::
Show commits more recent than a specific date.
---until='date', --before='date'::
+--until='date'::
+--before='date'::
Show commits older than a specific date.
ifdef::git-rev-list[]
---max-age='timestamp', --min-age='timestamp'::
+--max-age='timestamp'::
+--min-age='timestamp'::
Limit the commits output to specified time range.
endif::git-rev-list[]
---author='pattern', --committer='pattern'::
+--author='pattern'::
+--committer='pattern'::
Limit the commits output to ones with author/committer
header lines that match the specified pattern (regular expression).
Limit the commits output to ones with log message that
matches the specified pattern (regular expression).
--i, --regexp-ignore-case::
+-i::
+--regexp-ignore-case::
Match the regexp limiting patterns without regard to letters case.
--E, --extended-regexp::
+-E::
+--extended-regexp::
Consider the limiting patterns to be extended regular expressions
instead of the default basic regular expressions.
--F, --fixed-strings::
+-F::
+--fixed-strings::
Consider the limiting patterns to be fixed strings (don't interpret
pattern as a regular expression).
Stop when a given path disappears from the tree.
---full-history::
-
- Show also parts of history irrelevant to current state of a given
- path. This turns off history simplification, which removed merges
- which didn't change anything at all at some child. It will still actually
- simplify away merges that didn't change anything at all into either
- child.
-
--no-merges::
Do not print commits with more than one parent.
Pretend as if all the refs in `$GIT_DIR/refs/` are listed on the
command line as '<commit>'.
+ifdef::git-rev-list[]
--stdin::
In addition to the '<commit>' listed on the command
test the exit status to see if a range of objects is fully
connected (or not). It is faster than redirecting stdout
to /dev/null as the output does not have to be formatted.
+endif::git-rev-list[]
--cherry-pick::
from branch A). With this option, such pairs of commits are
excluded from the output.
--g, --walk-reflogs::
+-g::
+--walk-reflogs::
Instead of walking the commit ancestry chain, walk
reflog entries from the most recent one to older ones.
this causes the output to have two extra lines of information
taken from the reflog. By default, 'commit@\{Nth}' notation is
used in the output. When the starting commit is specified as
-'commit@{now}', output also uses 'commit@\{timestamp}' notation
+'commit@\{now}', output also uses 'commit@\{timestamp}' notation
instead. Under '\--pretty=oneline', the commit message is
prefixed with this information on the same line.
-
-Cannot be combined with '\--reverse'.
+This option cannot be combined with '\--reverse'.
See also linkgit:git-reflog[1].
--merge::
Output uninteresting commits at the boundary, which are usually
not shown.
---dense, --sparse::
+--
+
+History Simplification
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+When optional paths are given, 'git-rev-list' simplifies commits with
+various strategies, according to the options you have selected.
+
+Suppose you specified `foo` as the <paths>. We shall call commits
+that modify `foo` !TREESAME, and the rest TREESAME. (In a diff
+filtered for `foo`, they look different and equal, respectively.)
+
+In the following, we will always refer to the same example history to
+illustrate the differences between simplification settings. We assume
+that you are filtering for a file `foo` in this commit graph:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ .-A---M---N---O---P
+ / / / / /
+ I B C D E
+ \ / / / /
+ `-------------'
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+The horizontal line of history A--P is taken to be the first parent of
+each merge. The commits are:
-When optional paths are given, the default behaviour ('--dense') is to
-only output commits that changes at least one of them, and also ignore
-merges that do not touch the given paths.
+* `I` is the initial commit, in which `foo` exists with contents
+ "asdf", and a file `quux` exists with contents "quux". Initial
+ commits are compared to an empty tree, so `I` is !TREESAME.
-Use the '--sparse' flag to makes the command output all eligible commits
-(still subject to count and age limitation), but apply merge
-simplification nevertheless.
+* In `A`, `foo` contains just "foo".
+
+* `B` contains the same change as `A`. Its merge `M` is trivial and
+ hence TREESAME to all parents.
+
+* `C` does not change `foo`, but its merge `N` changes it to "foobar",
+ so it is not TREESAME to any parent.
+
+* `D` sets `foo` to "baz". Its merge `O` combines the strings from
+ `N` and `D` to "foobarbaz"; i.e., it is not TREESAME to any parent.
+
+* `E` changes `quux` to "xyzzy", and its merge `P` combines the
+ strings to "quux xyzzy". Despite appearing interesting, `P` is
+ TREESAME to all parents.
+
+'rev-list' walks backwards through history, including or excluding
+commits based on whether '\--full-history' and/or parent rewriting
+(via '\--parents' or '\--children') are used. The following settings
+are available.
+
+Default mode::
+
+ Commits are included if they are not TREESAME to any parent
+ (though this can be changed, see '\--sparse' below). If the
+ commit was a merge, and it was TREESAME to one parent, follow
+ only that parent. (Even if there are several TREESAME
+ parents, follow only one of them.) Otherwise, follow all
+ parents.
++
+This results in:
++
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ .-A---N---O
+ / /
+ I---------D
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
++
+Note how the rule to only follow the TREESAME parent, if one is
+available, removed `B` from consideration entirely. `C` was
+considered via `N`, but is TREESAME. Root commits are compared to an
+empty tree, so `I` is !TREESAME.
++
+Parent/child relations are only visible with --parents, but that does
+not affect the commits selected in default mode, so we have shown the
+parent lines.
+
+--full-history without parent rewriting::
+
+ This mode differs from the default in one point: always follow
+ all parents of a merge, even if it is TREESAME to one of them.
+ Even if more than one side of the merge has commits that are
+ included, this does not imply that the merge itself is! In
+ the example, we get
++
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ I A B N D O
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
++
+`P` and `M` were excluded because they are TREESAME to a parent. `E`,
+`C` and `B` were all walked, but only `B` was !TREESAME, so the others
+do not appear.
++
+Note that without parent rewriting, it is not really possible to talk
+about the parent/child relationships between the commits, so we show
+them disconnected.
+
+--full-history with parent rewriting::
+
+ Ordinary commits are only included if they are !TREESAME
+ (though this can be changed, see '\--sparse' below).
++
+Merges are always included. However, their parent list is rewritten:
+Along each parent, prune away commits that are not included
+themselves. This results in
++
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ .-A---M---N---O---P
+ / / / / /
+ I B / D /
+ \ / / / /
+ `-------------'
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
++
+Compare to '\--full-history' without rewriting above. Note that `E`
+was pruned away because it is TREESAME, but the parent list of P was
+rewritten to contain `E`'s parent `I`. The same happened for `C` and
+`N`. Note also that `P` was included despite being TREESAME.
+
+In addition to the above settings, you can change whether TREESAME
+affects inclusion:
+
+--dense::
+
+ Commits that are walked are included if they are not TREESAME
+ to any parent.
+
+--sparse::
+
+ All commits that are walked are included.
++
+Note that without '\--full-history', this still simplifies merges: if
+one of the parents is TREESAME, we follow only that one, so the other
+sides of the merge are never walked.
+
+Finally, there is a fourth simplification mode available:
+
+--simplify-merges::
+
+ First, build a history graph in the same way that
+ '\--full-history' with parent rewriting does (see above).
++
+Then simplify each commit `C` to its replacement `C'` in the final
+history according to the following rules:
++
+--
+* Set `C'` to `C`.
++
+* Replace each parent `P` of `C'` with its simplification `P'`. In
+ the process, drop parents that are ancestors of other parents, and
+ remove duplicates.
++
+* If after this parent rewriting, `C'` is a root or merge commit (has
+ zero or >1 parents), a boundary commit, or !TREESAME, it remains.
+ Otherwise, it is replaced with its only parent.
+--
++
+The effect of this is best shown by way of comparing to
+'\--full-history' with parent rewriting. The example turns into:
++
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ .-A---M---N---O
+ / / /
+ I B D
+ \ / /
+ `---------'
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
++
+Note the major differences in `N` and `P` over '\--full-history':
++
+--
+* `N`'s parent list had `I` removed, because it is an ancestor of the
+ other parent `M`. Still, `N` remained because it is !TREESAME.
++
+* `P`'s parent list similarly had `I` removed. `P` was then
+ removed completely, because it had one parent and is TREESAME.
+--
ifdef::git-rev-list[]
+Bisection Helpers
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
--bisect::
Limit output to the one commit object which is roughly halfway between
`--bisect-vars` had been used alone.
endif::git-rev-list[]
---
Commit Ordering
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~