hg log is a command in Mercurial, a distributed version control system, used to display the revision history of the repository. Here’s a detailed explanation of hg log:
- Viewing Revision History: The primary function of hg log is to present users with a comprehensive view of the revision history of the Mercurial repository. It displays a list of commits in reverse chronological order, starting from the most recent revision and progressing backwards in time.
- Commit Information: For each commit shown in the log, hg log provides detailed information such as the revision number, commit author, date and time of the commit, commit message, and a summary of changes made in that revision. This allows users to track the evolution of the project and understand the context of each change.
- Navigating History: Users can navigate through the revision history using various options and parameters provided by hg log. For example, they can specify a range of revisions to display, filter commits based on criteria such as author or date range, limit the number of revisions shown, and customize the output format.
- Revision Graph: In addition to displaying linear commit history, hg log can also visualize branching and merging in the repository by presenting a graphical representation of the revision graph. This graph illustrates the relationships between different commits, branches, and merges, helping users understand the overall structure of the project’s history.
- Integration with Other Commands: hg log integrates seamlessly with other Mercurial commands, allowing users to perform actions such as viewing differences between revisions (hg diff), inspecting individual changesets (hg cat), and reverting to previous revisions (hg update or hg revert), all within the context of the revision history displayed by hg log.
- Documentation Reference: The Mercurial documentation provides comprehensive information about the hg log command, including usage examples, options, and advanced features. Developers can refer to this documentation for guidance on exploring and understanding the revision history of their repositories effectively.
“hg logs” Command Examples
1. Display the entire revision history of the repository:
# hg log
2. Display the revision history with an ASCII graph:
# hg log --graph
3. Display the revision history with file names matching a specified pattern:
# hg log --include [pattern]
4. Display the revision history, excluding file names that match a specified pattern:
# hg log --exclude [pattern]
5. Display the log information for a specific revision:
# hg log --rev [revision]
6. Display the revision history for a specific branch:
# hg log --branch [branch]
7. Display the revision history for a specific date:
# hg log --date [date]
8. Display revisions committed by a specific user:
# hg log --user [user]
Summary
In summary, hg log is a powerful command in Mercurial used to examine the revision history of a repository, providing users with valuable insights into the evolution of the project and facilitating collaboration and decision-making during the development process.