GIT-CAT-FILE(1) Git Manual GIT-CAT-FILE(1)NAMEgit-cat-file - Provide content or type and size information for
repository objects
SYNOPSIS
git cat-file (-t | -s | -e | -p | <type>) <object>
git cat-file (--batch | --batch-check) < <list-of-objects>
DESCRIPTION
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.
OPTIONS
<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.
OUTPUT
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
AUTHOR
Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org[1]>
DOCUMENTATION
Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list
<git@vger.kernel.org[2]>.
GIT
Part of the git(1) suite
NOTES
1. torvalds@osdl.org
mailto:torvalds@osdl.org
2. git@vger.kernel.org
mailto:git@vger.kernel.org
Git 1.7.0.4 12/18/2010 GIT-CAT-FILE(1)
