# Bug report - git show <tagname> together with --pretty=format

4 messages from 2009-04-08 to 2009-04-08. Participants: Cornelius, Michael J Gruber, Santi Béjar, Teemu Likonen.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/18783

## Cornelius, 2009-04-08 12:56

Subject: Bug report - git show <tagname> together with --pretty=format
Message-ID: <49DC9F07.4090105@gmx.de>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/49DC9F07.4090105%40gmx.de

```
Hi,
I've a problem with git 1.6.2.2 (self compiled) and git show. I use it's 
output for parsing the git data, so this is more than a minor issue for 
me. When you normally do a git show on a tag name it's output resembles 
the following:
tag <tagname>
Tagger: Cornelius <c.r1@gmx.de>
Date:   Wed Apr 8 14:39:17 2009 +0200


tagmessage
commit 77e312e0527f87604e4c70ebf6040e79bb55d2ed
<snip>

Now when you do a git show <tagname> 
--pretty=format:"ENDOFGITTAGOUTPUTMESAGEHERE%n%H" --
the Date: line is missing. Git 1.6.0.5 (which is avaible in my distro's 
repos) doesn't have this issue. Please CC me, I'm not subcribed here.
Cornelius

```

## Michael J Gruber, 2009-04-08 15:28

Subject: Re: Bug report - git show <tagname> together with --pretty=format
Message-ID: <49DCC295.7010908@drmicha.warpmail.net>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/49DCC295.7010908%40drmicha.warpmail.net
In-Reply-To: <49DC9F07.4090105@gmx.de>

```
Cornelius venit, vidit, dixit 08.04.2009 14:56:
> Hi,
> I've a problem with git 1.6.2.2 (self compiled) and git show. I use it's 
> output for parsing the git data, so this is more than a minor issue for 
> me. When you normally do a git show on a tag name it's output resembles 
> the following:
> tag <tagname>
> Tagger: Cornelius <c.r1@gmx.de>
> Date:   Wed Apr 8 14:39:17 2009 +0200
> 
> 
> tagmessage
> commit 77e312e0527f87604e4c70ebf6040e79bb55d2ed
> <snip>
> 
> Now when you do a git show <tagname> 
> --pretty=format:"ENDOFGITTAGOUTPUTMESAGEHERE%n%H" --
> the Date: line is missing. Git 1.6.0.5 (which is avaible in my distro's 
> repos) doesn't have this issue. Please CC me, I'm not subcribed here.
> Cornelius

It's not a bug, it's a feature ;)

In fact, git show used to ignore format specifiers for the tag part and
apply them to the commit part only. Since
ea718e6 (show <tag>: reuse pp_user_info() instead of duplicating code,
2009-01-02)
(which is in v1.6.2) it applies the format to both, which is why there
is no tag date unless you ask for it (or use the default format).

Michael

```

## Santi Béjar, 2009-04-08 16:37

Subject: Re: Bug report - git show <tagname> together with --pretty=format
Message-ID: <adf1fd3d0904080937v634c5b69rffa7a737f22a3768@mail.gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/adf1fd3d0904080937v634c5b69rffa7a737f22a3768%40mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <49DCC295.7010908@drmicha.warpmail.net>

```
2009/4/8 Michael J Gruber <git@drmicha.warpmail.net>:
> Cornelius venit, vidit, dixit 08.04.2009 14:56:
>> Hi,
>> I've a problem with git 1.6.2.2 (self compiled) and git show. I use it's
>> output for parsing the git data,

In addition to what Michael said, you should use the plumbing commands
instead of the porcelain (see man git). They are specifically for use
with scripts and parse their output. The output from the porcelain
commands can change.

Santi

```

## Teemu Likonen, 2009-04-08 19:47

Subject: Plumbing commands (was: Bug report - git show <tagname> together with --pretty=format)
Message-ID: <87myarszat.fsf_-_@iki.fi>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/87myarszat.fsf_-_%40iki.fi
In-Reply-To: <adf1fd3d0904080937v634c5b69rffa7a737f22a3768@mail.gmail.com>

```
On 2009-04-08 18:37 (+0200), Santi Béjar wrote:

> In addition to what Michael said, you should use the plumbing commands
> instead of the porcelain (see man git). They are specifically for use
> with scripts and parse their output. The output from the porcelain
> commands can change.

Hmm, I've been using a command like this in a script:

    date=$(git log -1 --pretty=format:%ai $REV)

Would it be better to change it to

    date=$(git rev-list -1 --pretty=format:%ai $REV | sed -e 1d)

or something else?

```