GIT−CAT−FILE

git-cat-file − Provide content or type and size information for repository objects

git cat−file (−t | −s | −e | −p | <type>) <object>
git cat−file (−−batch | −−batch−check) < <list−of−objects>

In its first form, the command provides the content or the type of an object in the repository. The type is required unless −t or −p is used to find the object type, or −s is used to find the object size.

In the second form, a list of objects (separated by linefeeds) is provided on stdin, and the SHA1, type, and size of each object is printed on stdout.

<object>

The name of the object to show. For a more complete list of ways to spell object names, see the "SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in git-rev-parse(1).

−t

Instead of the content, show the object type identified by <object>.

−s

Instead of the content, show the object size identified by <object>.

−e

Suppress all output; instead exit with zero status if <object> exists and is a valid object.

−p

Pretty−print the contents of <object> based on its type.

<type>

Typically this matches the real type of <object> but asking for a type that can trivially be dereferenced from the given <object> is also permitted. An example is to ask for a "tree" with <object> being a commit object that contains it, or to ask for a "blob" with <object> being a tag object that points at it.

−−batch

Print the SHA1, type, size, and contents of each object provided on stdin. May not be combined with any other options or arguments.

−−batch−check

Print the SHA1, type, and size of each object provided on stdin. May not be combined with any other options or arguments.

If −t is specified, one of the <type>.

If −s is specified, the size of the <object> in bytes.

If −e is specified, no output.

If −p is specified, the contents of <object> are pretty−printed.

If <type> is specified, the raw (though uncompressed) contents of the <object> will be returned.

If −−batch is specified, output of the following form is printed for each object specified on stdin:

<sha1> SP <type> SP <size> LF
<contents> LF

If −−batch−check is specified, output of the following form is printed for each object specified on stdin:

<sha1> SP <type> SP <size> LF

For both −−batch and −−batch−check, output of the following form is printed for each object specified on stdin that does not exist in the repository:

<object> SP missing LF

Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org [1] >

Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git−list <git@vger.kernel.org [2] >.

Part of the git(1) suite

1.

torvalds@osdl.org

mailto:torvalds@osdl.org

2.

git@vger.kernel.org

mailto:git@vger.kernel.org