Understanding the 'git effort' Command (with examples)
The git effort command is a part of the git-extras package and is a useful tool within the Git suite of commands. It is used to analyze how much effort has been put into each file by providing a comprehensive overview of commits per file and “active days,” which corresponds to the total number of days contributions have been made to a file. This command is particularly valuable for understanding the historical workload distribution across files in a repository and identifying hotspots of activity. Whether you’re a developer, a project manager, or simply someone managing repositories, this tool can give you insights into the dynamics of code maintenance and contribution.
Use case 1: Display each file in the repository, showing commits and active days
Code:
git effort
Motivation:
The primary motivation for using this command is to get a holistic view of the activity across all files in a repository. By doing this, you can identify which files have seen the most development activity—quantified by the number of commits and the number of active days. This is useful in assessing areas that might need more attention, potential documentation, or refactoring due to high levels of activity.
Explanation:
git effort: This simple command, when executed without additional arguments, instructs Git to scan the repository and provide metrics for each file. It automatically calculates and displays the number of commits and distinct days developers have worked on each file.
Example output:
path/to/file1 25 commits 10 days
path/to/file2 15 commits 8 days
path/to/file3 30 commits 12 days
Use case 2: Display files modified by a specific number of commits or more, showing commits and active days
Code:
git effort --above 5
Motivation:
This use case is especially beneficial for identifying files that have had a significant amount of work done, which may indicate complexity or frequent changes. By filtering out files with fewer than a specified number of commits, you can focus your attention and resources on sections of the codebase that require more rigorous review or testing.
Explanation:
git effort: As before, this initiates the effort tracking process.--above 5: This argument limits the output to only those files that have been modified by more than 5 commits. It helps in narrowing down the scope to files with substantial activity.
Example output:
path/to/file3 30 commits 12 days
path/to/file4 8 commits 5 days
Use case 3: Display files modified by a specific author, showing commits and active days
Code:
git effort -- --author="username"
Motivation:
There are situations where you might want to analyze contributions by a particular developer, perhaps for performance reviews, audits, or understanding contribution patterns. This use case allows you to filter the effort view specifically to track the work of an individual contributor.
Explanation:
git effort: Begins by analyzing all files for their effort metrics.--: The double dash indicates that the following arguments should be passed directly to the underlying git log command.--author="username": Directs the command to filter results, showing only the effort related to commits made by the specified username.
Example output:
path/to/file5 12 commits 7 days
path/to/file6 3 commits 2 days
Use case 4: Display files modified since a specific time/date, showing commits and active days
Code:
git effort -- --since="last month"
Motivation:
Understanding recent activity in the codebase can be crucial for sprint retrospectives, evaluating recent bug fixes, or just generally gaining insights into how efforts are being distributed in ongoing projects. By focusing on recent changes, you can better manage workload and priorities.
Explanation:
git effort: To begin looking at file-based commit history and active days.--: As before, this serves to pass subsequent options directly to git log.--since="last month": Limits the scope of results to only those files that have been modified since the specified time frame, thereby filtering recent activity.
Example output:
path/to/file7 10 commits 6 days
path/to/file8 5 commits 3 days
Use case 5: Display only the specified files or directories, showing commits and active days
Code:
git effort path/to/file_or_directory1 path/to/file_or_directory2
Motivation:
When working on large projects, you might only be interested in monitoring activity on specific files or directories due to high relevance to your current tasks. This use case allows you to hone in on metrics for those specific files or directories, providing a focused view without extraneous information.
Explanation:
git effort: Initiates the analysis.path/to/file_or_directory1 path/to/file_or_directory2: These paths specify the files or directories that you want the effort command to analyze. This allows for a targeted view, making it easier to manage and understand specific parts of the codebase.
Example output:
path/to/file1 10 commits 5 days
path/to/directory2/file 7 commits 3 days
Use case 6: Display all files in a specific directory, showing commits and active days
Code:
git effort path/to/directory/*
Motivation:
This use case targets situations where you may want to know about all activity within a specific directory. Useful for analyzing module development, this command highlights which files are more active within a module and thus may need more attention, such as testing or documentation.
Explanation:
git effort: Again initiates the effort analysis.path/to/directory/*: The asterisk acts as a wildcard, covering all files within the specified directory. This approach provides comprehensive insight into all files and the effort involved in that particular directory.
Example output:
path/to/directory/file1 5 commits 2 days
path/to/directory/file2 12 commits 8 days
Conclusion:
The git effort command is a versatile tool that enhances the analytical capabilities of version control with Git. By using these different use cases, teams and individuals can better understand their codebase, manage resources more effectively, and target efforts where they are most needed. Whether you’re focused on specific files, developers, or timeframes, git effort helps illuminate the history and distribution of work in a repository.
