Docu review done: Thu 29 Jun 2023 12:34:21 CEST

Table of Content

General
Installation
- Debian
Configuration
Commands
- Samples
Keybindings

General

Tig is an ncurses-based text-mode interface for git. It functions mainly as a Git repository browser, but can also assist in staging changes for commit at chunk level and act as a pager for output from various Git commands.

Installation

Debian

$ apt install tig

Configuration

the configuration of tig has its own man page tigrc which contains samples of configuration snippes and so on

There are several places to store the coniguration for tig:

$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/tig/config
~/.config/tig/config
~/.tigrc
/etc/tigrc

You can also place your tig configuration inside of git configs:

$GIT_DIR/config
~/.gitconfig
/etc/gitconfig

If you have tig complied on your own and added the readline support, then you get also a command and search history file. If you have it installed via apt you will get tig with readline support enabled.

Locations:

$XDG_DATA_HOME/tig/history
~/.local/share/tig/history
~/.tig_history

The location of the history file is determined in the following way. If $XDG_DATA_HOME is set and $XDG_DATA_HOME/tig/ exists, store history to $XDG_DATA_HOME/tig/history. If $XDG_DATA_HOME is empty or undefined, store history to ~/.local/share/tig/history, if the directory ~/.local/share/tig/ exists. Fall back to ~/.tig_history if ~/.local/share/tig/ does not exist.

If you add your tig configuration into your git config file, it follows the same style guied as the git configuration:

[tig]
    commit-order = topo
    line-graphics = yes
    tab-size = 4
    main-view-date-local = true

You can also add your own keybindings inside of the config file:

[tig "bind"]
    generic = P !git push
    generic = p !git plr
    generic = S :source ~/.gitconfig
    generic = 9 !echo -n "%(commit)" | xclip -selection c
    status = + !git commit --amend

Commands

If you just run tig without any parameter, the ncurses gui will open and start do display you the git log. But of course it has some very usefull parmeters, to make your live easier.

Command	Description
`blame`	Show given file annotated by commits. Takes zero or more `git-blame` options. Optionally limited from given revision.
`status`	Startup in status view, close to `git-status`
`reflog`	Start up in reflog view
`refs`	Start up in refs view. All refs are displayed unless limited by using one of the `--branches`, `--remotes`, or `--tags` parameters.
`stash`	Start up in stash view
`grep [pattern]`	Open the grep view. Supports the same options as `git-grep`.

Samples

These samples can be also looked at man tig

Command	Description
`tig test master`	Display commits from one or more branches
`tig --all`	Pretend as if all the refs in refs/ are listed on the command line
`tig test..master`	Display differences between two branches
`tig --submodule`	Display changes for sub-module versions
`tig -- README`	Display changes for a single file
`tig README`	Display changes for a single file
`tig show tig-0.8:README`	Display contents of the README file in a specific revision
`tig --after="2004-01-01" --before="2006-05-16" -- README`	Display revisions between two dates for a specific file
`tig blame -C README`	Blame file with copy detection enabled
`tig --word-diff=plain`	Use word diff in the diff view

Keybindings

To interact with tig it offers you a bunch of keybindings.

To create own keybindings, have a look at the config section

These are just a small list what it can do, but which I use on a regulare base:

Sekction	Key	Description
General
│	`h`	displays the help (also shows your custom bindings)
│	`ENTER`	enter and open selected line
│	`e`	opens file (on selected line) in editor
│	`q`	closes current view/section/…, closes `tig` if you are back to the started view
└	`Q`	closes `tig` always
Views
│	`d`	opens diff view
│	`j`/`k`	move down/up
│	`g`	allows you to perform `git-grep` and displays result
└	`X`	toggles column of short commit ids in main view
Search
│	`/`	let you search in the current view (like it odes in `vim`)
│	`?`	let you search-back in the current view (like it odes in `vim`)
│	`n`	find next
└	`N`	find previous

If you have opened a view at the same time with a diff (in split mode), the j/k will move your cursor in the diff section. But you can still navigate in the original view as well, just use your arrow keys (up and down). The diff view will stay and update the content to the selected line.

e.g. you are in the main view, presse ENTER to open the diff for the last commit and then press arrow down, now you will get the diff displayed for the second last commit.

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