Getting a Concise Summary of What Files Changed

Introduction §

This tutorial explains how to use the --stat flag in Git to obtain a concise summary of file changes, including the number of lines added or deleted. This flag can be particularly useful for a quick overview of changes without needing the full diff output.

Basic Terminal §

The --stat flag can be used with various Git commands to provide a statistical summary of changes:

1. Using with git log:

   • This shows a summary of changes for each commit in the log.

   git log --stat

   • You’ll see a list of commits, each followed by a breakdown of files changed in that commit, along with the number of lines added and deleted.

2. Using with git diff:

   • This provides a summary of changes in the working directory compared to the last commit.

   git diff --stat

   • The output includes each changed file, the number of lines added or removed, and a graphical representation of these changes.

These commands are especially helpful for quickly assessing the scope of changes in a repository or in specific commits.

Lazygit §

While Lazygit doesn’t have a direct equivalent to the --stat flag, you can visually inspect changes in files:

1. Open Lazygit and navigate to the Files panel.
2. Select a file to see a diff of the changes.
3. For a broader view, use the commit log in Lazygit to see the files changed in each commit.

Though not as concise as the --stat flag, Lazygit provides a more interactive way to explore changes in your repository.