We divide git into high level ("porcelain") commands and low level
("plumbing") commands.
-Low-level commands (plumbing)
------------------------------
-
-Although git includes its
-own porcelain layer, its low-level commands are sufficient to support
-development of alternative porcelains. Developers of such porcelains
-might start by reading about gitlink:git-update-index[1] and
-gitlink:git-read-tree[1].
-
-We divide the low-level commands into commands that manipulate objects (in
-the repository, index, and working tree), commands that interrogate and
-compare objects, and commands that move objects and references between
-repositories.
-
-Manipulation commands
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-gitlink:git-apply[1]::
- Reads a "diff -up1" or git generated patch file and
- applies it to the working tree.
-
-gitlink:git-checkout-index[1]::
- Copy files from the index to the working tree.
-
-gitlink:git-commit-tree[1]::
- Creates a new commit object.
-
-gitlink:git-hash-object[1]::
- Computes the object ID from a file.
-
-gitlink:git-index-pack[1]::
- Build pack idx file for an existing packed archive.
-
-gitlink:git-init-db[1]::
- Creates an empty git object database, or reinitialize an
- existing one.
-
-gitlink:git-merge-index[1]::
- Runs a merge for files needing merging.
-
-gitlink:git-mktag[1]::
- Creates a tag object.
-
-gitlink:git-mktree[1]::
- Build a tree-object from ls-tree formatted text.
-
-gitlink:git-pack-objects[1]::
- Creates a packed archive of objects.
-
-gitlink:git-prune-packed[1]::
- Remove extra objects that are already in pack files.
-
-gitlink:git-read-tree[1]::
- Reads tree information into the index.
-
-gitlink:git-repo-config[1]::
- Get and set options in .git/config.
-
-gitlink:git-unpack-objects[1]::
- Unpacks objects out of a packed archive.
-
-gitlink:git-update-index[1]::
- Registers files in the working tree to the index.
-
-gitlink:git-write-tree[1]::
- Creates a tree from the index.
-
-
-Interrogation commands
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-gitlink:git-cat-file[1]::
- Provide content or type/size information for repository objects.
-
-gitlink:git-describe[1]::
- Show the most recent tag that is reachable from a commit.
-
-gitlink:git-diff-index[1]::
- Compares content and mode of blobs between the index and repository.
-
-gitlink:git-diff-files[1]::
- Compares files in the working tree and the index.
-
-gitlink:git-diff-stages[1]::
- Compares two "merge stages" in the index.
-
-gitlink:git-diff-tree[1]::
- Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects.
-
-gitlink:git-fsck-objects[1]::
- Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database.
-
-gitlink:git-ls-files[1]::
- Information about files in the index and the working tree.
-
-gitlink:git-ls-tree[1]::
- Displays a tree object in human readable form.
-
-gitlink:git-merge-base[1]::
- Finds as good common ancestors as possible for a merge.
-
-gitlink:git-name-rev[1]::
- Find symbolic names for given revs.
-
-gitlink:git-pack-redundant[1]::
- Find redundant pack files.
-
-gitlink:git-rev-list[1]::
- Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order.
-
-gitlink:git-show-index[1]::
- Displays contents of a pack idx file.
-
-gitlink:git-tar-tree[1]::
- Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree object.
-
-gitlink:git-unpack-file[1]::
- Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents.
-
-gitlink:git-var[1]::
- Displays a git logical variable.
-
-gitlink:git-verify-pack[1]::
- Validates packed git archive files.
-
-In general, the interrogate commands do not touch the files in
-the working tree.
-
-
-Synching repositories
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-gitlink:git-fetch-pack[1]::
- Updates from a remote repository (engine for ssh and
- local transport).
-
-gitlink:git-http-fetch[1]::
- Downloads a remote git repository via HTTP by walking
- commit chain.
-
-gitlink:git-local-fetch[1]::
- Duplicates another git repository on a local system by
- walking commit chain.
-
-gitlink:git-peek-remote[1]::
- Lists references on a remote repository using
- upload-pack protocol (engine for ssh and local
- transport).
-
-gitlink:git-receive-pack[1]::
- Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
-
-gitlink:git-send-pack[1]::
- Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
-
-gitlink:git-http-push[1]::
- Push missing objects using HTTP/DAV.
-
-gitlink:git-shell[1]::
- Restricted shell for GIT-only SSH access.
-
-gitlink:git-ssh-fetch[1]::
- Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection by
- walking commit chain.
-
-gitlink:git-ssh-upload[1]::
- Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-fetch.
-
-gitlink:git-update-server-info[1]::
- Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
- clients discover references and packs on it.
-
-gitlink:git-upload-archive[1]::
- Invoked by 'git-archive' to send a generated archive.
-
-gitlink:git-upload-pack[1]::
- Invoked by 'git-fetch-pack' to push
- what are asked for.
-
-
High-level commands (porcelain)
-------------------------------
gitlink:git-mv[1]::
Move or rename a file, a directory, or a symlink.
+gitlink:git-pack-refs[1]::
+ Pack heads and tags for efficient repository access.
+
gitlink:git-pull[1]::
- Fetch from and merge with a remote repository.
+ Fetch from and merge with a remote repository or a local branch.
gitlink:git-push[1]::
Update remote refs along with associated objects.
gitlink:git-cvsserver[1]::
A CVS server emulator for git.
+gitlink:git-gc[1]::
+ Cleanup unnecessary files and optimize the local repository.
+
gitlink:git-lost-found[1]::
Recover lost refs that luckily have not yet been pruned.
gitlink:git-quiltimport[1]::
Applies a quilt patchset onto the current branch.
+gitlink:git-reflog[1]::
+ Manage reflog information.
+
gitlink:git-relink[1]::
Hardlink common objects in local repositories.
Annotate file lines with commit info.
gitlink:git-blame[1]::
- Blame file lines on commits.
-
-gitlink:git-pickaxe[1]::
Find out where each line in a file came from.
gitlink:git-check-ref-format[1]::
gitlink:git-rev-parse[1]::
Pick out and massage parameters.
+gitlink:git-runstatus[1]::
+ A helper for git-status and git-commit.
+
gitlink:git-send-email[1]::
Send patch e-mails out of "format-patch --mbox" output.
Filter out empty lines.
+Low-level commands (plumbing)
+-----------------------------
+
+Although git includes its
+own porcelain layer, its low-level commands are sufficient to support
+development of alternative porcelains. Developers of such porcelains
+might start by reading about gitlink:git-update-index[1] and
+gitlink:git-read-tree[1].
+
+We divide the low-level commands into commands that manipulate objects (in
+the repository, index, and working tree), commands that interrogate and
+compare objects, and commands that move objects and references between
+repositories.
+
+Manipulation commands
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+gitlink:git-apply[1]::
+ Reads a "diff -up1" or git generated patch file and
+ applies it to the working tree.
+
+gitlink:git-checkout-index[1]::
+ Copy files from the index to the working tree.
+
+gitlink:git-commit-tree[1]::
+ Creates a new commit object.
+
+gitlink:git-hash-object[1]::
+ Computes the object ID from a file.
+
+gitlink:git-index-pack[1]::
+ Build pack idx file for an existing packed archive.
+
+gitlink:git-init[1]::
+ Creates an empty git repository, or reinitialize an
+ existing one.
+
+gitlink:git-merge-file[1]::
+ Runs a threeway merge.
+
+gitlink:git-merge-index[1]::
+ Runs a merge for files needing merging.
+
+gitlink:git-mktag[1]::
+ Creates a tag object.
+
+gitlink:git-mktree[1]::
+ Build a tree-object from ls-tree formatted text.
+
+gitlink:git-pack-objects[1]::
+ Creates a packed archive of objects.
+
+gitlink:git-prune-packed[1]::
+ Remove extra objects that are already in pack files.
+
+gitlink:git-read-tree[1]::
+ Reads tree information into the index.
+
+gitlink:git-repo-config[1]::
+ Get and set options in .git/config.
+
+gitlink:git-unpack-objects[1]::
+ Unpacks objects out of a packed archive.
+
+gitlink:git-update-index[1]::
+ Registers files in the working tree to the index.
+
+gitlink:git-write-tree[1]::
+ Creates a tree from the index.
+
+
+Interrogation commands
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+gitlink:git-cat-file[1]::
+ Provide content or type/size information for repository objects.
+
+gitlink:git-describe[1]::
+ Show the most recent tag that is reachable from a commit.
+
+gitlink:git-diff-index[1]::
+ Compares content and mode of blobs between the index and repository.
+
+gitlink:git-diff-files[1]::
+ Compares files in the working tree and the index.
+
+gitlink:git-diff-stages[1]::
+ Compares two "merge stages" in the index.
+
+gitlink:git-diff-tree[1]::
+ Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects.
+
+gitlink:git-for-each-ref[1]::
+ Output information on each ref.
+
+gitlink:git-fsck-objects[1]::
+ Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database.
+
+gitlink:git-ls-files[1]::
+ Information about files in the index and the working tree.
+
+gitlink:git-ls-tree[1]::
+ Displays a tree object in human readable form.
+
+gitlink:git-merge-base[1]::
+ Finds as good common ancestors as possible for a merge.
+
+gitlink:git-name-rev[1]::
+ Find symbolic names for given revs.
+
+gitlink:git-pack-redundant[1]::
+ Find redundant pack files.
+
+gitlink:git-rev-list[1]::
+ Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order.
+
+gitlink:git-show-index[1]::
+ Displays contents of a pack idx file.
+
+gitlink:git-show-ref[1]::
+ List references in a local repository.
+
+gitlink:git-tar-tree[1]::
+ Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree object.
+
+gitlink:git-unpack-file[1]::
+ Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents.
+
+gitlink:git-var[1]::
+ Displays a git logical variable.
+
+gitlink:git-verify-pack[1]::
+ Validates packed git archive files.
+
+In general, the interrogate commands do not touch the files in
+the working tree.
+
+
+Synching repositories
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+gitlink:git-fetch-pack[1]::
+ Updates from a remote repository (engine for ssh and
+ local transport).
+
+gitlink:git-http-fetch[1]::
+ Downloads a remote git repository via HTTP by walking
+ commit chain.
+
+gitlink:git-local-fetch[1]::
+ Duplicates another git repository on a local system by
+ walking commit chain.
+
+gitlink:git-peek-remote[1]::
+ Lists references on a remote repository using
+ upload-pack protocol (engine for ssh and local
+ transport).
+
+gitlink:git-receive-pack[1]::
+ Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
+
+gitlink:git-send-pack[1]::
+ Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
+
+gitlink:git-http-push[1]::
+ Push missing objects using HTTP/DAV.
+
+gitlink:git-shell[1]::
+ Restricted shell for GIT-only SSH access.
+
+gitlink:git-ssh-fetch[1]::
+ Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection by
+ walking commit chain.
+
+gitlink:git-ssh-upload[1]::
+ Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-fetch.
+
+gitlink:git-update-server-info[1]::
+ Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
+ clients discover references and packs on it.
+
+gitlink:git-upload-archive[1]::
+ Invoked by 'git-archive' to send a generated archive.
+
+gitlink:git-upload-pack[1]::
+ Invoked by 'git-fetch-pack' to push
+ what are asked for.
+
+
Configuration Mechanism
-----------------------
a valid head 'name'
(i.e. the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`).
+For a more complete list of ways to spell object names, see
+"SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in gitlink:git-rev-parse[1].
+
File/Directory Structure
------------------------
git Diffs
~~~~~~~~~
'GIT_DIFF_OPTS'::
+ Only valid setting is "--unified=??" or "-u??" to set the
+ number of context lines shown when a unified diff is created.
+ This takes precedence over any "-U" or "--unified" option
+ value passed on the git diff command line.
+
'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
- see the "generating patches" section in :
- gitlink:git-diff-index[1];
- gitlink:git-diff-files[1];
- gitlink:git-diff-tree[1]
+ When the environment variable 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF' is set, the
+ program named by it is called, instead of the diff invocation
+ described above. For a path that is added, removed, or modified,
+ 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF' is called with 7 parameters:
+
+ path old-file old-hex old-mode new-file new-hex new-mode
++
+where:
+
+ <old|new>-file:: are files GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF can use to read the
+ contents of <old|new>,
+ <old|new>-hex:: are the 40-hexdigit SHA1 hashes,
+ <old|new>-mode:: are the octal representation of the file modes.
+
++
+The file parameters can point at the user's working file
+(e.g. `new-file` in "git-diff-files"), `/dev/null` (e.g. `old-file`
+when a new file is added), or a temporary file (e.g. `old-file` in the
+index). 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF' should not worry about unlinking the
+temporary file --- it is removed when 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF' exits.
++
+For a path that is unmerged, 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF' is called with 1
+parameter, <path>.
other
~~~~~