Git Show: Reading Committed Snapshots

Basic

What `git show` actually shows

`git show` is an inspection command for Git objects. When the object is a commit, the normal form shows the commit metadata, its log message, and the textual changes introduced by that commit. It does not create a new commit or alter the working tree or index.

git show
git show HEAD

git show HEAD?git show HEAD

A commit is a snapshot with a parent relationship

For a normal non-merge commit, the patch shown by `git show <commit>` describes the difference introduced by that commit relative to its parent. This is different from `git diff`, where you explicitly choose the comparison states. `git show` starts from an object and explains what that object contains or, for a commit, what change it introduces.

git log --oneline
git show HEAD
git show HEAD~1

git show HEAD?git show HEAD

Use an explicit commit when history matters

Using an explicit revision makes the inspection reproducible: `git show <commit>` asks Git to show that particular object rather than relying on the default `HEAD`. A short object name such as `HEAD~1` is a revision expression resolved by Git. The revision syntax itself belongs to the later revision-selection curriculum; here it is used only to select an already-known snapshot.

git show HEAD
git show HEAD~1

git show HEAD~1?git show HEAD~1

Separate commit content from commit metadata

The default output combines commit information with its patch. Options can narrow what you inspect. `--no-patch` suppresses the diff portion, while `--format` controls the displayed commit information. This is useful when the question is about who made the commit, its message, or its object identity rather than the file changes.

git show --no-patch HEAD
git show --format=fuller --no-patch HEAD

git show --no-patch HEAD?git show --no-patch HEAD

Inspect the committed version of a path

A path can be supplied after the revision and `--` to limit the displayed commit changes to that path. This is an observation of the selected commit; it does not read the current working-tree version as its source. Keeping the revision before `--` and the path after it makes the intended boundary explicit.

git show HEAD -- README.md

git show HEAD -- README.md?git show HEAD -- README.md

Do not confuse `git show` with `git diff`

The commands answer related but different questions. `git diff` is primarily a comparison between selected states. `git show <commit>` starts from a selected Git object and, for a commit, reports that commit and the change it introduced. Neither command mutates repository state.

git diff HEAD~1 HEAD -- README.md
git show HEAD -- README.md

git diff HEAD~1 HEAD -- README.md
git show HEAD -- README.md?git show HEAD -- README.md

Practice what you learned

Use the dedicated Git code-completion exercise for this lesson.

Official-source boundary

This lesson is grounded only in the official Git project documentation for `git show` and Git revision selection. The current official documentation baseline is Git 2.56.0. The `git-show` documentation records no changes from Git 2.46.1 through 2.47.3, matching the local Git 2.47.3 verification executable. Revision syntax is used here only at the level required to select known commits; full revision-expression mastery remains a later curriculum owner.