notes

Git notes are a way to add additional information to Git objects (commits, blobs, trees, and tags) without changing the objects themselves. Notes are stored in a separate namespace and can be used to annotate commits with extra information, such as code reviews, build statuses, or any other metadata.

Key Features of Git Notes

Non-intrusive: Notes do not alter the original Git objects.
Flexible: Notes can be added, edited, and removed without affecting the commit history.
Namespace: Notes are stored in a separate namespace, allowing for multiple notes on the same object.

Basic Commands

Adding a Note

To add a note to a commit:

git notes add -m "This is a note for the commit"

This command adds a note to the current commit. You can specify a different commit by adding the commit hash at the end:

git notes add -m "This is a note for a specific commit" <commit-hash>

Showing Notes

To display notes for a commit:

git notes show

To show notes for a specific commit:

git notes show <commit-hash>

Editing a Note

To edit an existing note:

git notes edit

To edit a note for a specific commit:

git notes edit <commit-hash>

Removing a Note

To remove a note:

git notes remove

To remove a note from a specific commit:

git notes remove <commit-hash>

Advanced Usage

Listing All Notes

To list all notes in the repository:

git notes list

Merging Notes

If you have notes from different branches and want to merge them:

git notes merge <branch>

Pruning Notes

To remove notes that are no longer referenced:

git notes prune

Examples

Adding a Note to a Commit

git notes add -m "Reviewed by John Doe"

Showing a Note for a Specific Commit

git notes show 1a2b3c4d

Editing a Note for a Specific Commit

git notes edit 1a2b3c4d

Removing a Note from a Specific Commit

git notes remove 1a2b3c4d

Listing All Notes Example

git notes list

Merging Notes from Another Branch

git notes merge feature-branch

Pruning Unreferenced Notes

git notes prune

Git notes provide a powerful way to annotate your Git objects with additional information, making it easier to manage and track metadata without altering the commit history.

Last modified: 29 November 2024