githistory

---
name: githistory
description: Search git commit history for a feature or change by loose description or precise name. Finds when something was added, modified, or removed.
triggers:
  - "when did we add"
  - "find the commit for"
  - "git history"
  - "when was this committed"
  - "find in history"
  - "/githistory"
---

# Git History — Find Features in Commit History

Search git commit history to find when a specific feature, change, or fix was committed.

## Arguments

`<feature description>` — A loose description or precise name of what to search for.

- `/githistory blackboard` — finds commits related to the blackboard feature
- `/githistory LaTeX font size` — finds when LaTeX font was changed
- `/githistory` — no argument, ASK the user: "What feature or change are you looking for in the commit history?"

## Workflow

### Step 1: Parse the query

If no argument is provided, ask: "What feature or change are you looking for in the commit history?" Wait for the user's answer.

### Step 2: Search commit messages

Search the git log for commits matching the query:

```bash
# Search commit messages (case-insensitive)
git log --all --oneline --grep="<keyword>" -i

# If the query has multiple words, try each word separately
git log --all --oneline --grep="<word1>" --grep="<word2>" --all-match -i

# Also try a loose search with just the most distinctive word
git log --all --oneline --grep="<most distinctive word>" -i
```

### Step 3: Search diffs (if commit messages don't match)

If no commits found by message, search the actual code changes:

```bash
# Search for the term in the actual diffs
git log --all --oneline -S "<search term>"

# For regex patterns
git log --all --oneline -G "<regex pattern>"
```

### Step 4: Show details of matching commits

For each matching commit (up to 10), show:

```bash
# Show commit details with changed files
git show --stat <commit-hash>

# Show the actual diff for the relevant file(s)
git show <commit-hash> -- <relevant-file>
```

### Step 5: Report

Present results clearly:

```
Found N commits related to "<query>":

1. <hash> <date> — <commit message>
   Files: <list of changed files>

2. <hash> <date> — <commit message>
   Files: <list of changed files>

Most relevant: <hash> — <why this one matches best>
```

If no results found:
```
No commits found matching "<query>".
Tried: commit message search, diff search.
Suggestions: try different keywords, check branch names, or use `git log --all --oneline` to browse.
```

## Rules

1. **Always search commit messages first** — it's faster and usually sufficient.
2. **Fall back to diff search** if messages don't match — the feature might have been committed with a generic message.
3. **Search all branches** — use `--all` to include feature branches that may not be merged.
4. **Show context** — don't just list hashes, show dates and changed files so the user can identify the right commit.
5. **If multiple matches**, highlight the most relevant one based on how closely the commit message matches the query.