How to use the command `git root` (with examples)
This article will provide step-by-step instructions on how to use the git root command with examples for different use cases.
Command Description
The git root command is part of the git-extras extension and is used to print the root directory of the current Git repository. It can also provide the current working directory relative to the root of the repository.
Use case 1: Print the absolute path of the current Git repository
Code:
git root
Motivation:
The motivation for using this example is to quickly obtain the absolute path of the current Git repository. This information can be useful for identifying the location of the repository on the system or for scripting purposes.
Explanation:
The git root command without any arguments simply prints the absolute path of the current Git repository. It identifies the top-most directory that contains the .git directory, which is the indicator of a Git repository.
Example output:
/Users/username/documents/project/repo
Use case 2: Print the current working directory relative to the root of the current Git repository
Code:
git root --relative
Motivation:
The motivation for using this example is to obtain the current working directory’s path relative to the root of the Git repository. This can be helpful when navigating through a large project with multiple sub-directories.
Explanation:
The git root --relative command prints the current working directory relative to the root of the Git repository. It calculates the relative path by removing the common root directory between the current working directory and the Git repository’s root.
Example output:
documents/project/repo/sub-directory
Conclusion
In this article, we covered two use cases for the git root command. The command allows users to easily obtain the absolute path of the current Git repository and the relative path of the current working directory. These features can be beneficial for various tasks, such as locating the repository or navigating through a project’s directory structure.
