Searching history with git log -S - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the -S option do in git log?

The -S option searches for commits that add or remove a specific string in the code. It helps find changes related to that exact text.

intermediate

How is git log -S different from git log -G?

-S searches for changes in the number of occurrences of a string, while -G searches for commits that match a regular expression pattern in the diff.

beginner

Write a command to find commits that added or removed the word 'bugfix' in the project history.

git log -S'bugfix'

intermediate

Can git log -S search for changes in binary files?

No, git log -S works only with text changes. It cannot search inside binary files.

beginner

Why might git log -S be useful when debugging?

It helps find exactly when a specific piece of code was added or removed, making it easier to track down when a bug was introduced or fixed.

What does git log -S'functionName' do?

A Shows commits that contain 'functionName' anywhere

B Shows commits that deleted 'functionName' only

C Shows commits that changed the file named 'functionName'

D Shows commits that added or removed 'functionName'

-S finds commits where the number of occurrences of the string changes, so it shows commits that added or removed 'functionName'.

Which option would you use to search commits by a regular expression pattern?

A -p

B -S

C -G

D -a

-G searches commits by matching a regex pattern in the diff.

If you want to find when a variable name was changed, which command helps best?

A git log -S'variableName'

B git log --oneline

C git status

D git diff

git log -S finds commits that added or removed the variable name.

Does git log -S show commits that only mention the string in commit messages?

A Yes, it searches commit messages

B No, it searches code changes only

C Yes, but only for merge commits

D No, it searches file names only

-S searches for changes in the code, not commit messages.

What is a practical use of git log -S?

A To find when a specific code line was added or removed

B To list all branches

C To merge two branches

D To clone a repository

git log -S helps find commits that changed a specific string in the code.

Explain how git log -S helps you find when a specific piece of code was added or removed.

Think about how you find when a word first appeared or disappeared in your project.

Describe the difference between git log -S and git log -G.

One looks for exact string changes, the other for pattern matches.