Documentation/git-for-each-ref.txt

   1 git-for-each-ref(1)
   2 ===================
   3
   4 NAME
   5 ----
   6 git-for-each-ref - Output information on each ref
   7
   8 SYNOPSIS
   9 --------
  10 [verse]
  11 'git for-each-ref' [--count=<count>] [--shell|--perl|--python|--tcl]
  12                    [(--sort=<key>)...] [--format=<format>] [<pattern>...]
  13                    [--points-at=<object>]
  14                    (--merged[=<object>] | --no-merged[=<object>])
  15                    [--contains[=<object>]] [--no-contains[=<object>]]
  16
  17 DESCRIPTION
  18 -----------
  19
  20 Iterate over all refs that match `<pattern>` and show them
  21 according to the given `<format>`, after sorting them according
  22 to the given set of `<key>`.  If `<count>` is given, stop after
  23 showing that many refs.  The interpolated values in `<format>`
  24 can optionally be quoted as string literals in the specified
  25 host language allowing their direct evaluation in that language.
  26
  27 OPTIONS
  28 -------
  29 <pattern>...::
  30         If one or more patterns are given, only refs are shown that
  31         match against at least one pattern, either using fnmatch(3) or
  32         literally, in the latter case matching completely or from the
  33         beginning up to a slash.
  34
  35 --count=<count>::
  36         By default the command shows all refs that match
  37         `<pattern>`.  This option makes it stop after showing
  38         that many refs.
  39
  40 --sort=<key>::
  41         A field name to sort on.  Prefix `-` to sort in
  42         descending order of the value.  When unspecified,
  43         `refname` is used.  You may use the --sort=<key> option
  44         multiple times, in which case the last key becomes the primary
  45         key.
  46
  47 --format=<format>::
  48         A string that interpolates `%(fieldname)` from a ref being shown
  49         and the object it points at.  If `fieldname`
  50         is prefixed with an asterisk (`*`) and the ref points
  51         at a tag object, use the value for the field in the object
  52         which the tag object refers to (instead of the field in the tag object).
  53         When unspecified, `<format>` defaults to
  54         `%(objectname) SPC %(objecttype) TAB %(refname)`.
  55         It also interpolates `%%` to `%`, and `%xx` where `xx`
  56         are hex digits interpolates to character with hex code
  57         `xx`; for example `%00` interpolates to `\0` (NUL),
  58         `%09` to `\t` (TAB) and `%0a` to `\n` (LF).
  59
  60 --shell::
  61 --perl::
  62 --python::
  63 --tcl::
  64         If given, strings that substitute `%(fieldname)`
  65         placeholders are quoted as string literals suitable for
  66         the specified host language.  This is meant to produce
  67         a scriptlet that can directly be `eval`ed.
  68
  69 --points-at=<object>::
  70         Only list refs which points at the given object.
  71
  72 --merged[=<object>]::
  73         Only list refs whose tips are reachable from the
  74         specified commit (HEAD if not specified),
  75         incompatible with `--no-merged`.
  76
  77 --no-merged[=<object>]::
  78         Only list refs whose tips are not reachable from the
  79         specified commit (HEAD if not specified),
  80         incompatible with `--merged`.
  81
  82 --contains[=<object>]::
  83         Only list refs which contain the specified commit (HEAD if not
  84         specified).
  85
  86 --no-contains[=<object>]::
  87         Only list refs which don't contain the specified commit (HEAD
  88         if not specified).
  89
  90 --ignore-case::
  91         Sorting and filtering refs are case insensitive.
  92
  93 FIELD NAMES
  94 -----------
  95
  96 Various values from structured fields in referenced objects can
  97 be used to interpolate into the resulting output, or as sort
  98 keys.
  99
 100 For all objects, the following names can be used:
 101
 102 refname::
 103         The name of the ref (the part after $GIT_DIR/).
 104         For a non-ambiguous short name of the ref append `:short`.
 105         The option core.warnAmbiguousRefs is used to select the strict
 106         abbreviation mode. If `lstrip=<N>` (`rstrip=<N>`) is appended, strips `<N>`
 107         slash-separated path components from the front (back) of the refname
 108         (e.g. `%(refname:lstrip=2)` turns `refs/tags/foo` into `foo` and
 109         `%(refname:rstrip=2)` turns `refs/tags/foo` into `refs`).
 110         If `<N>` is a negative number, strip as many path components as
 111         necessary from the specified end to leave `-<N>` path components
 112         (e.g. `%(refname:lstrip=-2)` turns
 113         `refs/tags/foo` into `tags/foo` and `%(refname:rstrip=-1)`
 114         turns `refs/tags/foo` into `refs`). When the ref does not have
 115         enough components, the result becomes an empty string if
 116         stripping with positive <N>, or it becomes the full refname if
 117         stripping with negative <N>.  Neither is an error.
 118 +
 119 `strip` can be used as a synomym to `lstrip`.
 120
 121 objecttype::
 122         The type of the object (`blob`, `tree`, `commit`, `tag`).
 123
 124 objectsize::
 125         The size of the object (the same as 'git cat-file -s' reports).
 126
 127 objectname::
 128         The object name (aka SHA-1).
 129         For a non-ambiguous abbreviation of the object name append `:short`.
 130         For an abbreviation of the object name with desired length append
 131         `:short=<length>`, where the minimum length is MINIMUM_ABBREV. The
 132         length may be exceeded to ensure unique object names.
 133
 134 upstream::
 135         The name of a local ref which can be considered ``upstream''
 136         from the displayed ref. Respects `:short`, `:lstrip` and
 137         `:rstrip` in the same way as `refname` above.  Additionally
 138         respects `:track` to show "[ahead N, behind M]" and
 139         `:trackshort` to show the terse version: ">" (ahead), "<"
 140         (behind), "<>" (ahead and behind), or "=" (in sync). `:track`
 141         also prints "[gone]" whenever unknown upstream ref is
 142         encountered. Append `:track,nobracket` to show tracking
 143         information without brackets (i.e "ahead N, behind M").  Has
 144         no effect if the ref does not have tracking information
 145         associated with it.  All the options apart from `nobracket`
 146         are mutually exclusive, but if used together the last option
 147         is selected.
 148
 149 push::
 150         The name of a local ref which represents the `@{push}`
 151         location for the displayed ref. Respects `:short`, `:lstrip`,
 152         `:rstrip`, `:track`, and `:trackshort` options as `upstream`
 153         does. Produces an empty string if no `@{push}` ref is
 154         configured.
 155
 156 HEAD::
 157         '*' if HEAD matches current ref (the checked out branch), ' '
 158         otherwise.
 159
 160 color::
 161         Change output color. Followed by `:<colorname>`, where color
 162         names are described under Values in the "CONFIGURATION FILE"
 163         section of linkgit:git-config[1].  For example,
 164         `%(color:bold red)`.
 165
 166 align::
 167         Left-, middle-, or right-align the content between
 168         %(align:...) and %(end). The "align:" is followed by
 169         `width=<width>` and `position=<position>` in any order
 170         separated by a comma, where the `<position>` is either left,
 171         right or middle, default being left and `<width>` is the total
 172         length of the content with alignment. For brevity, the
 173         "width=" and/or "position=" prefixes may be omitted, and bare
 174         <width> and <position> used instead.  For instance,
 175         `%(align:<width>,<position>)`. If the contents length is more
 176         than the width then no alignment is performed. If used with
 177         `--quote` everything in between %(align:...) and %(end) is
 178         quoted, but if nested then only the topmost level performs
 179         quoting.
 180
 181 if::
 182         Used as %(if)...%(then)...%(end) or
 183         %(if)...%(then)...%(else)...%(end).  If there is an atom with
 184         value or string literal after the %(if) then everything after
 185         the %(then) is printed, else if the %(else) atom is used, then
 186         everything after %(else) is printed. We ignore space when
 187         evaluating the string before %(then), this is useful when we
 188         use the %(HEAD) atom which prints either "*" or " " and we
 189         want to apply the 'if' condition only on the 'HEAD' ref.
 190         Append ":equals=<string>" or ":notequals=<string>" to compare
 191         the value between the %(if:...) and %(then) atoms with the
 192         given string.
 193
 194 symref::
 195         The ref which the given symbolic ref refers to. If not a
 196         symbolic ref, nothing is printed. Respects the `:short`,
 197         `:lstrip` and `:rstrip` options in the same way as `refname`
 198         above.
 199
 200 In addition to the above, for commit and tag objects, the header
 201 field names (`tree`, `parent`, `object`, `type`, and `tag`) can
 202 be used to specify the value in the header field.
 203
 204 For commit and tag objects, the special `creatordate` and `creator`
 205 fields will correspond to the appropriate date or name-email-date tuple
 206 from the `committer` or `tagger` fields depending on the object type.
 207 These are intended for working on a mix of annotated and lightweight tags.
 208
 209 Fields that have name-email-date tuple as its value (`author`,
 210 `committer`, and `tagger`) can be suffixed with `name`, `email`,
 211 and `date` to extract the named component.
 212
 213 The complete message in a commit and tag object is `contents`.
 214 Its first line is `contents:subject`, where subject is the concatenation
 215 of all lines of the commit message up to the first blank line.  The next
 216 line is 'contents:body', where body is all of the lines after the first
 217 blank line.  The optional GPG signature is `contents:signature`.  The
 218 first `N` lines of the message is obtained using `contents:lines=N`.
 219 Additionally, the trailers as interpreted by linkgit:git-interpret-trailers[1]
 220 are obtained as 'contents:trailers'.
 221
 222 For sorting purposes, fields with numeric values sort in numeric order
 223 (`objectsize`, `authordate`, `committerdate`, `creatordate`, `taggerdate`).
 224 All other fields are used to sort in their byte-value order.
 225
 226 There is also an option to sort by versions, this can be done by using
 227 the fieldname `version:refname` or its alias `v:refname`.
 228
 229 In any case, a field name that refers to a field inapplicable to
 230 the object referred by the ref does not cause an error.  It
 231 returns an empty string instead.
 232
 233 As a special case for the date-type fields, you may specify a format for
 234 the date by adding `:` followed by date format name (see the
 235 values the `--date` option to linkgit:git-rev-list[1] takes).
 236
 237 Some atoms like %(align) and %(if) always require a matching %(end).
 238 We call them "opening atoms" and sometimes denote them as %($open).
 239
 240 When a scripting language specific quoting is in effect, everything
 241 between a top-level opening atom and its matching %(end) is evaluated
 242 according to the semantics of the opening atom and only its result
 243 from the top-level is quoted.
 244
 245
 246 EXAMPLES
 247 --------
 248
 249 An example directly producing formatted text.  Show the most recent
 250 3 tagged commits:
 251
 252 ------------
 253 #!/bin/sh
 254
 255 git for-each-ref --count=3 --sort='-*authordate' \
 256 --format='From: %(*authorname) %(*authoremail)
 257 Subject: %(*subject)
 258 Date: %(*authordate)
 259 Ref: %(*refname)
 260
 261 %(*body)
 262 ' 'refs/tags'
 263 ------------
 264
 265
 266 A simple example showing the use of shell eval on the output,
 267 demonstrating the use of --shell.  List the prefixes of all heads:
 268 ------------
 269 #!/bin/sh
 270
 271 git for-each-ref --shell --format="ref=%(refname)" refs/heads | \
 272 while read entry
 273 do
 274         eval "$entry"
 275         echo `dirname $ref`
 276 done
 277 ------------
 278
 279
 280 A bit more elaborate report on tags, demonstrating that the format
 281 may be an entire script:
 282 ------------
 283 #!/bin/sh
 284
 285 fmt='
 286         r=%(refname)
 287         t=%(*objecttype)
 288         T=${r#refs/tags/}
 289
 290         o=%(*objectname)
 291         n=%(*authorname)
 292         e=%(*authoremail)
 293         s=%(*subject)
 294         d=%(*authordate)
 295         b=%(*body)
 296
 297         kind=Tag
 298         if test "z$t" = z
 299         then
 300                 # could be a lightweight tag
 301                 t=%(objecttype)
 302                 kind="Lightweight tag"
 303                 o=%(objectname)
 304                 n=%(authorname)
 305                 e=%(authoremail)
 306                 s=%(subject)
 307                 d=%(authordate)
 308                 b=%(body)
 309         fi
 310         echo "$kind $T points at a $t object $o"
 311         if test "z$t" = zcommit
 312         then
 313                 echo "The commit was authored by $n $e
 314 at $d, and titled
 315
 316     $s
 317
 318 Its message reads as:
 319 "
 320                 echo "$b" | sed -e "s/^/    /"
 321                 echo
 322         fi
 323 '
 324
 325 eval=`git for-each-ref --shell --format="$fmt" \
 326         --sort='*objecttype' \
 327         --sort=-taggerdate \
 328         refs/tags`
 329 eval "$eval"
 330 ------------
 331
 332
 333 An example to show the usage of %(if)...%(then)...%(else)...%(end).
 334 This prefixes the current branch with a star.
 335
 336 ------------
 337 git for-each-ref --format="%(if)%(HEAD)%(then)* %(else)  %(end)%(refname:short)" refs/heads/
 338 ------------
 339
 340
 341 An example to show the usage of %(if)...%(then)...%(end).
 342 This prints the authorname, if present.
 343
 344 ------------
 345 git for-each-ref --format="%(refname)%(if)%(authorname)%(then) Authored by: %(authorname)%(end)"
 346 ------------
 347
 348 SEE ALSO
 349 --------
 350 linkgit:git-show-ref[1]
 351
 352 GIT
 353 ---
 354 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite