GitHow-ToBeginner · 3 min read

How to Compare Commits in Git: Simple Commands and Examples

To compare commits in git, use git diff commit1 commit2 to see the changes between two commits. You can also use git log -p commit1..commit2 to view the patch details between commits.

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Syntax

The basic syntax to compare commits in Git is:

git diff <commit1> <commit2>: Shows the differences between two commits.
git log -p <commit1>..<commit2>: Shows commit logs with patch details between two commits.
git diff <commit>: Compares a commit with the current working directory.

bash

git diff <commit1> <commit2>
git log -p <commit1>..<commit2>
git diff <commit>

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Example

This example shows how to compare two commits using git diff and git log -p. It demonstrates the differences in file changes and commit details.

bash

git diff 1a2b3c4 5d6e7f8

git log -p 1a2b3c4..5d6e7f8

Output

diff --git a/file.txt b/file.txt index e69de29..d95f3ad 100644 --- a/file.txt +++ b/file.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Hello World +This is a change commit 5d6e7f8 Author: User <user@example.com> Date: Thu Apr 27 12:00:00 2024 +0000 Added greeting to file.txt commit 1a2b3c4 Author: User <user@example.com> Date: Wed Apr 26 10:00:00 2024 +0000 Initial commit

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Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when comparing commits include:

Using incorrect commit hashes or partial hashes that do not uniquely identify commits.
Confusing the order of commits in git diff which affects the direction of changes shown.
Not specifying the range correctly in git log -p, which can lead to no output or unexpected results.

Always verify commit hashes with git log --oneline before comparing.

bash

git diff 5d6e7f8 1a2b3c4  # Wrong order, shows reverse changes

# Correct order:
git diff 1a2b3c4 5d6e7f8

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Quick Reference

Command	Description
git diff	Show changes between two commits
git log -p ..	Show commit logs with patch between commits
git diff	Show changes between a commit and working directory
git diff	Compare two branches
git show	Show details of a single commit

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Key Takeaways

Use git diff with two commit hashes to see changes between commits.

git log -p shows commit history with detailed changes (patches).

Order of commits in git diff matters; it shows changes from first to second commit.

Verify commit hashes before comparing to avoid errors.

You can also compare branches or a commit with your working directory.