Git Commit Search Cheat Sheet

git-commit-search-cheat-sheet.md

Git Commit Search Cheat Sheet

Quick reference for finding commits in Git with examples.

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1. Search by exact string (-S)

git log -p -S "<string>" -- <file>

• Shows commits where <string> was added or removed.
• Example:

git log -p -S "arg.selectionSet.selections" -- src/index.ts

Example diff (color-coded)

commit abc123
Author: Dev <dev@example.com>
Date:   2025-08-21

+  console.log(arg.selectionSet.selections)   # Added line (green)
-  console.log(arg.selectionSet.foo)          # Removed line (red)

Only commits adding or removing the exact string appear.

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2. Search by pattern/regex (-G)

git log -p -G "<regex>" -- <file>

• Shows commits where lines matching regex were changed.
• Example:

git log -p -G "selectionSet" -- src/index.ts

Example diff (color-coded)

commit def456
Author: Dev <dev@example.com>
Date:   2025-08-20

-  console.log(arg.selectionSet)              # Removed (red)
+  console.log(arg.selectionSet.selections)   # Added (green)

Any change to lines containing "selectionSet" is included.

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3. Search all branches

git log -p --all -S "arg.selectionSet.selections" -- src/index.ts
git log -p --all -G "selectionSet" -- src/index.ts

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4. Optional filters

--author="<name>"      # Filter by author
--since="YYYY-MM-DD"   # Filter by date
--oneline              # One-line summary per commit

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5. Quick Comparison

Option	Finds	Use case
-S	Commits that add/remove exact string	Track when a variable or function was introduced or removed
-G	Commits that modify lines matching regex	Track all changes related to a pattern, even partial changes

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Tip

Combine with --oneline for faster browsing:

git log -S "myVar" --oneline

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Visual Reminder

• Green (+) = lines added
• Red (-) = lines removed
• -S → exact string change only
• -G → any line matching pattern changed