# git --format anyone ?

3 messages from 2026-03-16 to 2026-03-16. Participants: John Emmas, Kristoffer Haugsbakk.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/65264

## John Emmas, 2026-03-16 10:12

Subject: git --format anyone ?
Message-ID: <457209f3-e998-4223-bdf3-57245bc51926@creativepost.co.uk>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/457209f3-e998-4223-bdf3-57245bc51926%40creativepost.co.uk

```
I'm hoping this is the right mailing list (I'm using a product called 
Git for Windows and its logo looks the same on your website!)

I'm working on a project which requires me to run "git --format" (with 
various parameters of course). I'm currently running version 2.51.2 
which looks fairly recent and if I simply type "git" it displays a list 
of available options - but it doesn't deem to offer an option called 
'format' :-(

I gather that the latest version is 2.53.0 so would it be worthwhile for 
me to upgrade? i.e. would that then offer me git --format? Thanks,

John

```

## Kristoffer Haugsbakk, 2026-03-16 11:45

Subject: Re: git --format anyone ?
Message-ID: <ff0e899a-3d8b-4f46-8585-55881546423b@app.fastmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/ff0e899a-3d8b-4f46-8585-55881546423b%40app.fastmail.com
In-Reply-To: <457209f3-e998-4223-bdf3-57245bc51926@creativepost.co.uk>

```
On Mon, Mar 16, 2026, at 11:12, John Emmas wrote:
> I'm hoping this is the right mailing list (I'm using a product called
> Git for Windows and its logo looks the same on your website!)
>
> I'm working on a project which requires me to run "git --format" (with
> various parameters of course). I'm currently running version 2.51.2
> which looks fairly recent and if I simply type "git" it displays a list
> of available options - but it doesn't deem to offer an option called
> 'format' :-(
>
> I gather that the latest version is 2.53.0 so would it be worthwhile for
> me to upgrade? i.e. would that then offer me git --format? Thanks,

The `git` command itself does not have a `--format` option. Some
subcommands do like git-log(1).

    git log --format=<something>

> I'm working on a project which requires me to run "git --format" (with
> various parameters of course).

`git log --format=<something>` is for formatting log output. But since a
project “requires it” could this be formatting in the sense of formatting
source code?

You can for example use the third-party git-clang-format(1) on this
project. But it is third-party. It is not part of the git(1) suite of
commands.

```

## John Emmas, 2026-03-16 15:09

Subject: Re: git --format anyone ?
Message-ID: <a6d27f02-bd40-4901-bb0c-0d3a763b512c@creativepost.co.uk>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/a6d27f02-bd40-4901-bb0c-0d3a763b512c%40creativepost.co.uk
In-Reply-To: <ff0e899a-3d8b-4f46-8585-55881546423b@app.fastmail.com>

```
Many thanks Kristoffer,

I'd just posted some further information after realising there's Git 
forum available but your reply makes a lot of sense so thanks for 
letting me know.

John


On 16/03/2026 11:45, Kristoffer Haugsbakk wrote:
> The `git` command itself does not have a `--format` option. Some
> subcommands do like git-log(1).
>
>      git log --format=<something>
>
>> I'm working on a project which requires me to run "git --format" (with
>> various parameters of course).
> `git log --format=<something>` is for formatting log output. But since a
> project “requires it” could this be formatting in the sense of formatting
> source code?
>
> You can for example use the third-party git-clang-format(1) on this
> project. But it is third-party. It is not part of the git(1) suite of
> commands.


```