Viewing Log/History of a Repository
Platform Notice: Data Center Only - This article only applies to Atlassian products on the Data Center platform.
Note that this KB was created for the Data Center version of the product. Data Center KBs for non-Data-Center-specific features may also work for Server versions of the product, however they have not been tested. Support for Server* products ended on February 15th 2024. If you are running a Server product, you can visit the Atlassian Server end of support announcement to review your migration options.
*Except Fisheye and Crucible
Summary
This article should help users to understand the Log/History view in SourceTree, and the basic UI that's around it.
Solution
To view the logs and history of commits and branches of a repository:
1. For Windows:
Users can navigate to the log/history window through the Log/History tab way below.
Users can also alternatively press CTRL+2, or navigate it through View > Log View.
2. For Mac:
Users can navigate to the log/history window by clicking the Clock-shaped icon button at the top-left section.
Users can also alternatively press Command+2, or navigate it through View > Log View.
Or, users can just click any random Branches, Tags, Remotes (labelled "2", "3", and "4" below) - Works on both OS.
List and explanation according to the screenshot above:
#1 Clicking on File Status > Working Copy button will lead you to the File Status view.
#2 This section lists down all the branches available in this particular repository.
Clicking on any of the branch will cause SourceTree navigate to the branch's latest commit the graph log.
Users can choose to display all the branches or just the current checked out branch in the graph log by selecting All Branches or Current Branch in the drop-down list.
If a branch is ahead or behind of its remote counterpart, a small notification will show right beside the branch.
#3 This section lists down all the tags available in this particular repository.
Clicking on any of the tags will cause SourceTree navigate to the tag in the graph log.
#4 This section lists down all the remote branches that are tracked by this particular repository.
Clicking on any of the remote branch will cause SourceTree navigate to the remote branch's latest commit in the graph log.
Users can choose to display or not display the remote branches in the graph log by checking or unchecking the Show Remote Branches checkbox.
By default, it is labelled as origin/branch_name in the graph log.
#5 By selecting Date Order or Ancestor Order, users can choose to display the graph log via commit's date order or ancestry path.
This move will affect the order of the date that is being listed on the graph log.
#6 Graph log, by default, is essentially SourceTree's version of the command:
1
git log --graph --all --date-orderBy clicking a commit in the graph log, it'll expand to state more details of the commit - Commit's full hash, commit's parents, commit author, commit date, and commit labels/tags, as well as the files involved in the commit. For most files, SourceTree will even show the diff of the file.
#7 This remaining space is where SourceTree will usually list down stashed/shelved files, subtrees, and submodules that's involved in this repository.
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