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How to list only the names of files that changed between two commits

April 17, 2025

📂 Categories: Programming
🏷 Tags: Git Git-Diff
How to list only the names of files that changed between two commits

Interpretation power is the spine of contemporary package improvement, permitting groups to path adjustments, collaborate effectively, and revert to former states once wanted. Git, a distributed interpretation power scheme, has go the manufacture modular, providing almighty instruments for managing codebases. 1 communal project for builders is figuring out the information modified betwixt 2 commits. Knowing however to pinpoint these adjustments is important for debugging, codification reappraisal, and knowing the development of a task. This station dives into assorted methods to database lone the filenames modified betwixt 2 Git commits, offering broad explanations and applicable examples.

Utilizing git diff with --sanction-lone

The about simple attack to get a database of modified information is utilizing the git diff bid with the --sanction-lone action. This bid compares 2 commits and outputs lone the paths of the records-data that person been modified.

For case, to seat the information modified betwixt perpetrate abcdef12 and 345ghi78, you would usage:

git diff --sanction-lone abcdef12 345ghi78This bid is extremely versatile and types the ground for galore another strategies.

Filtering by Record Kind

Frequently, you mightiness lone beryllium curious successful adjustments to circumstantial record sorts, similar Python records-data (.py) oregon JavaScript records-data (.js). You tin accomplish this by combining git diff with the --diff-filter action.

For illustration, to database lone added Python information betwixt 2 commits:

git diff --sanction-lone --diff-filter=A abcdef12 345ghi78 .pyThis centered attack helps constrictive behind the outcomes and improves ratio.

Itemizing Modifications Betwixt Branches

Evaluating modifications betwixt antithetic branches is different predominant demand. You tin easy accommodate the git diff bid for this intent.

To database the records-data modified betwixt the chief and create branches:

git diff --sanction-lone chief...createThe 3 dots (...) correspond the merge basal of the 2 branches, offering a blanket examination.

Leveraging git log with --beautiful=format:

The git log bid, chiefly utilized for viewing perpetrate past, tin besides beryllium utilized to database modified information. Combining it with the --beautiful=format: action gives exact power complete the output.

To database lone filenames for the past 5 commits:

git log --beautiful=format:"" --sanction-lone -n 5This method is adjuvant once monitoring new adjustments oregon investigating a order of commits.

Utilizing git whatchanged (Deprecated)

Piece git whatchanged gives akin performance to git log with --sanction-lone, it’s present thought of deprecated. It’s mostly really useful to usage git log for amended compatibility and early-proofing.

Visualizing Adjustments with a GUI

Galore Git GUI shoppers message a ocular cooperation of modifications betwixt commits, frequently together with a devoted record database. Instruments similar GitKraken, Sourcetree, and GitHub Desktop simplify the procedure of figuring out modified information, particularly for analyzable tasks. Larn much astir effectual Git methods.

  • Commonly checking modified information improves codification knowing.
  • These strategies are important for effectual codification critiques.
  1. Place the 2 commits oregon branches you privation to comparison.
  2. Take the due git diff oregon git log bid.
  3. Refine your output utilizing choices similar --sanction-lone and --diff-filter.

In accordance to a Stack Overflow study, Git is the about fashionable interpretation power scheme, utilized by complete ninety% of builders.

Infographic Placeholder: Ocular cooperation of git diff and git log instructions.

For case, once debugging a new bug, a developer mightiness usage git diff --sanction-lone Caput^ Caput to rapidly seat the information modified successful the past perpetrate, serving to pinpoint the origin of the content.

Outer Assets

Mastering these instructions importantly streamlines the improvement workflow. By efficaciously utilizing git diff and git log, builders tin easy place modifications, facilitating amended collaboration and businesslike codification direction.

By knowing and making use of these strategies, you tin importantly better your Git workflow. Figuring out modified information betwixt commits turns into a elemental project, empowering you to path modifications, behavior thorough codification critiques, and finally physique amended package. Experimentation with these instructions and detect the powerfulness of businesslike interpretation power. Research associated subjects specified arsenic utilizing git blasted to path behind the writer of circumstantial adjustments and utilizing git bisect to pinpoint the perpetrate that launched a bug.

FAQ

Q: What if I demand to seat the existent adjustments inside the information, not conscionable the filenames?

A: Merely omit the --sanction-lone emblem once utilizing git diff. This volition show the afloat diff, displaying the added and eliminated traces for all record.

Question & Answer :
I person a clump of commits successful the repository. I privation to seat a database of information modified betwixt 2 commits - from SHA1 to SHA2.

What bid ought to I usage?

git diff --sanction-lone SHA1 SHA2 

wherever you lone demand to see adequate of the SHA hash to place the commits. The command of the SHAs does not substance. The output (which contains the comparative way, not conscionable the record sanction) follows this format:

dir 1/dir 2/filename.ext dir three/dir four/another filename.ext 

You tin besides bash, for illustration

git diff --sanction-lone Caput~10 Caput~5 

to seat the variations betwixt the tenth newest perpetrate and the 5th newest (oregon truthful).