Git: Last Commit A File Appeared In

In my project, I have a README.md file that I haven’t modified in a while. I’d like to take a look at the last commit that modified it. The git log command can be used here with few arguments to narrow it down.

$ git log -1 -- README.md
commit 6da76838549a43aa578604f8d0eee7f6dbf44168
Author: jbranchaud <jbranchaud@gmail.com>
Date:   Sun May 17 12:08:02 2015 -0500

    Add some documentation on configuring basic auth.

This same command will even work for files that have been deleted if you know the path and name of the file in question. For instance, I used to have an ideas.md file and I’d like to find the commit that removed it.

$ git log -1 -- docs/ideas.md
commit 0bb1d80ea8123dd12c305394e61ae27bdb706434
Author: jbranchaud <jbranchaud@gmail.com>
Date:   Sat May 16 14:53:57 2015 -0500

    Remove the ideas doc, it isn't needed anymore.

Via jbranchaud/til.