# I still use whatchanged

2 messages from 2025-11-13 to 2025-11-14. Participants: Eduard Bloch, Kristoffer Haugsbakk.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/64477

## Eduard Bloch, 2025-11-13 21:03

Subject: I still use whatchanged
Message-ID: <aRZHpI7uvNeHTD63@rotes76.wohnheim.uni-kl.de>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/aRZHpI7uvNeHTD63%40rotes76.wohnheim.uni-kl.de

```
Yes, guys,

that may sound totally ridiculous but I want my normal "git whatchanged"
command back.

Because calling it means typing "git wh<tab>". Just 6 keystrokes!

And what is the replacement call? Jeez, this dumb message about
"--i-still-use-this" should have mentioned that detail! Now I had to
google it which was not great UX in the first place.

Okay, the replacement is apparently "git log --ra<tab>", at least 12
keystrokes. That is a clear downgrade. So, please bring "whatchanged"
shortcut back. You may print scary warnings about eating my dogs for
breakfast or similar, I don't care.

BR, Eduard.

-- 
Every great idea is worthless without someone to do the work. --Neil Williams

```

## Kristoffer Haugsbakk, 2025-11-14 07:31

Subject: Re: I still use whatchanged
Message-ID: <447ddfcd-b5b7-4047-aee3-496bc4c0c70e@app.fastmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/447ddfcd-b5b7-4047-aee3-496bc4c0c70e%40app.fastmail.com
In-Reply-To: <aRZHpI7uvNeHTD63@rotes76.wohnheim.uni-kl.de>

```
On Thu, Nov 13, 2025, at 22:03, Eduard Bloch wrote:
> Yes, guys,
>
> that may sound totally ridiculous but I want my normal "git whatchanged"
> command back.
>
> Because calling it means typing "git wh<tab>". Just 6 keystrokes!

Since you specifically want the user experience of typing `git
whatchanged` or a prefix:

You can set up an alias with that name on Git 2.51.1 and 2.51.2.  (And
later Git 2.52.0 (soon released).)

    git config set --global alias.whatchanged 'log --raw --no-merges'

You cannot do that on Git 2.51.0 since you cannot alias builtin
commands.  But you can alias deprecated builtin commands on
those versions.

>
> And what is the replacement call? Jeez, this dumb message about
> "--i-still-use-this" should have mentioned that detail! Now I had to
> google it which was not great UX in the first place.
>
> Okay, the replacement is apparently "git log --ra<tab>", at least 12
> keystrokes.

The closest equivalent is `git log --raw --no-merges` (see above).

> That is a clear downgrade. So, please bring "whatchanged"
> shortcut back. You may print scary warnings about eating my dogs for
> breakfast or similar, I don't care.

```