The Commit Graph

The commit graph is the heart of GitGUI — a visual representation of your entire Git history.

Understanding the Graph

The commit graph shows:

• Commits as rows with message, author, and timestamp
• Branch lines as colored paths connecting commits
• Branch labels showing where each branch points
• HEAD indicator showing your current position

Graph    Message              Author       Date
──●───   feat: add login     John Doe     2 hours ago
  │
──●───   fix: typo           Jane Smith   5 hours ago
  │
──●───   Initial commit      John Doe     Yesterday

Reading the Graph

Commit Rows

Each row represents a commit and displays:

• Graph column — Visual branch lines and commit dots
• Message — The commit message (first line)
• Author — Who made the commit
• Date/Time — When the commit was made

Branch Colors

Different branches are shown in different colors:

• Lines connect commits on the same branch
• Merge commits show where branches join
• The current branch is highlighted

Uncommitted Changes

If you have uncommitted changes, they appear at the top of the graph as a special row showing:

• Number of staged files
• Number of unstaged files

Interacting with Commits

Click a Commit

Single-click a commit to:

• View the list of changed files
• See the diff for any file
• View commit details (full message, hash, etc.)

Scroll to Load More

The graph loads commits incrementally for performance. Scroll down to load older commits automatically.

Highlight from Sidebar

Click a branch in the sidebar to scroll the graph to that branch's latest commit.

Commit Details Panel

When you click a commit, the details panel shows:

1. File List — All files changed in that commit

   • Toggle between list view and folder view
   • See additions (+) and deletions (-) per file

2. Diff Viewer — Click a file to see its changes

   • Unified or split view
   • Syntax highlighting
   • Minimap for navigation

File Status Indicators

Badge	Meaning
M	Modified
A	Added
D	Deleted
R	Renamed
C	Copied

Context Menu Actions

Right-click on a commit to access:

• Reset branch to this commit
• Copy commit hash
• View commit in detail

Right-click on a file in the commit details to:

• View file history

Keyboard Navigation

Shortcut	Action
Escape	Close commit details panel
Ctrl+R	Refresh the graph

Performance Tips

For large repositories:

• GitGUI loads ~100 commits initially
• Scroll down to load more (infinite scroll)
• The graph remains responsive even with thousands of commits

Visual Elements

Branch Lines

• Straight lines = linear history
• Curved lines = branch divergence/merge
• Multiple colors = multiple active branches

Merge Commits

Merge commits show two parent lines converging, making it easy to see where branches were integrated.

Tags

Tags appear as labels on their associated commits.

Next Steps

• Staging & Committing — Make changes and commit them
• Branches & Merging — Work with branches