git log

Description:
Show the commit history of the repository. Displays commits in reverse chronological order (newest first).

Syntax:

bash

git log
git log --oneline
git log --graph
git log -n <number>
git log --author="name"

Examples:

bash

# View full commit history
git log

# Compact one-line format
git log --oneline

# Visual branch graph
git log --oneline --graph --all

# Show last 5 commits
git log -5

# Filter by author
git log --author="John Doe"

# Show commits for specific file
git log -- path/to/file.txt

# Pretty format with graph
git log --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset'

Detailed Explanation:

Commit details: Shows hash, author, date, and commit message
Chronological order: Most recent commits appear first
Exit viewer: Press q to exit the log viewer (uses less pager)
Navigation: Use arrow keys, space, or j/k to scroll through history

Common Errors:

fatal: your current branch 'main' does not have any commits yet → Solution: No commits exist yet; create your first commit
No errors typically occur – this is a read-only command

Pro Tips:

Use git log --oneline --graph --all --decorate for a clear visual history
Create an alias for your favorite log format: git config --global alias.lg "log --oneline --graph"
Use git log -p to see the actual code changes in each commit
Filter by date: git log --since="2 weeks ago" --until="yesterday"
Search commit messages: git log --grep="bug fix"

Related Commands:

git show – Display details of a specific commit
git diff – Compare commits
git reflog – Show reference log (includes reset commits)
git log --follow <file> – Track file history even through renames

git log ​

git log