git-blame

Blame a file

$ git blame [file.txt]

$ git blame -L [10,20] [file.txt]

$ git blame -e [file.txt]

$ git blame -w [file.txt]

$ git blame -M [file.txt]

git blame [options] [rev] [--] file

git blame shows what revision and author last modified each line of a file. It annotates each line with commit information, helping identify when and why changes were made.
The command is essential for code archaeology, understanding code history, and finding who to ask about specific code. Options like -M and -C detect moved and copied code across files to show original authorship rather than the person who relocated it.
Line ranges can be specified with -L to focus on specific sections, and -w ignores whitespace changes to find meaningful modifications. The output is invaluable for debugging, code review, and understanding the evolution of specific code sections.

FILE

File to annotate.

Annotate specific line range.

Show author email.

Ignore whitespace changes.

Detect moved lines within file.

Detect lines copied from other files.

Show only commits since date.

Display help information.

Large files can be slow. Blame follows renames by default. History rewriting changes blame output.

git blame is a core Git command inspired by similar functionality in CVS and SVN, essential for understanding code evolution.

git-log(1), git-bisect(1), git-show(1)