Git how to save a preset git log --format

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I really like the short git log format where I can see author, date and change description like this:

git log --pretty=format:"%h%x09%an%x09%ad%x09%s"

Which outputs:

  fbc3503 mads    Thu Dec 4 07:43:27 2008 +0000   show mobile if phone is null...   
  ec36490 jesper  Wed Nov 26 05:41:37 2008 +0000  Cleanup after [942]: Using timezon
  ae62afd tobias  Tue Nov 25 21:42:55 2008 +0000  Fixed #67 by adding time zone supp
  164be7e mads    Tue Nov 25 19:56:43 2008 +0000  fixed tests, and a 'unending appoi

(from stackoverflow question "link text")

Now, the question is, how do I save this as a new format on my machine so I only have to write something like, for instance:

git log --format=jespers_favourite
formatting logging git
4 Answers

With recent versions of git (1.7… 2.21 here) you can change your default format to a named format or the format string. And while you're doing it you may as well add some PRETTY FORMATS auto colors. Also I find it easier to edit the file rather than use the commands; but I start with them to get the right config file format first, and then tinker.

The default is changed with:

git config --global --add format.pretty \
"%C(yellow)%h%Creset%x09%Cred%<(13)%an%Creset%x09%Cblue%ad%Creset%x09%s"

Resulting in the addition to your .gitconfig of:

[format]
    pretty = %C(yellow)%h%Creset%x09%Cred%<(13)%an%Creset%x09%Cblue%ad%Creset%x09%s

It is, however, probably more useful to you to add a named format as mentioned in the later part of your question.

A named format is added with:

git config --global pretty.dateline \
"format:%C(yellow)%h%Creset%x09%Cred%<(13)%an%Creset%x09%Cblue%ad%Creset%x09%s"

Or by adding to your .gitconfig as:

[pretty]
    dateline = format:%C(yellow)%h%Creset%x09%Cred%<(13)%an%Creset%x09%Cblue%ad%Creset%x09%s

Used in combination:

If you add both, you could make them read:

[pretty]
    dateline = format:%C(yellow)%h%Creset%x09%Cred%<(13)%an%Creset%x09%Cblue%ad%Creset%x09%s

[format]
    pretty = dateline

Caveats:

The difference in the format: prefix should be noted, and personally I like to leave the default pretty format as medium. As you know the %ad part can be modified by --date=relative or any of default, iso8601, local, raw, relative, rfc2822, short ; so I like to use it like:

git log -25 --pretty=dateline --date=short -- when/was/this/changed.txt
dlamblin_4590
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