Command Reference

git blame

Track which commit last changed each line in a file, making it useful for recovering context around why a line looks the way it does now.

git blame annotates a file line by line with the commit, author, and timestamp that most recently changed each line.

Common examples

git blame src/app.ts
git blame -L 20,60 src/app.ts

When it helps

  • understanding where a line came from
  • jumping from current code back to the relevant commit
  • reconstructing context around a behavior change

Best practice

Use blame together with:

  • git show <commit>
  • git log -- <file>
  • git diff

Blame tells you who last touched a line, but not always the full story behind why the change happened.

Related Reads

git init Tutorial

Explains how git init creates a repository, how the initial branch is defined, and how it is used for both new and existing directories.

git clone Tutorial

Explains how git clone copies a repository, what origin means by default, and what local branch setup usually looks like after cloning.

git status Tutorial

Covers how git status shows working tree, staging area, and branch state, and why it should be part of nearly every Git workflow.

Previousgit bisect

Use binary search across history to locate the commit that introduced a regression, making it one of the most valuable debugging commands in Git.

Nextgit checkout Tutorial

Explains git checkout as the older multi-purpose command for branch switching and path restoration, and how it relates to switch and restore.