Summary  
This chapter covers using version control commands to view and inspect the history of code changes through commits.

General domain of usage  
Software version control

**Video summary:**  
Checking your project's history is like looking back at old photos to see how things changed. This video quickly shows you how to use Git to flip through the story of your project, seeing who made changes, when, and why.

When you want to remember what you did on your project, or see how it has changed over time, you can use Git to look back at all your saved snapshots. This is where the `git log` command comes in. Think of `git log` as a way to scroll through an album of your project's history. Each "photo" in this album is a commit—a saved change—with a message, the date, and a unique code that helps you find it later.

```
git log
```

To read the `git log`, start at the top. The long string after "commit" is the **commit ID**—a unique code for this snapshot. The **Author** line tells you who made the change. The **Date** line shows when it was saved. The message at the bottom explains what was changed in that commit. By reading these details, you can follow the story of your project and understand how it has grown, step by step.

```
git show 3f1e2b4c8a7d9f0e6a1b4f2a3e4c5b6d7e8f9a0b
```

Why might you want to look at your commit messages?

A super beginner-friendly, step-by-step course introducing Git and GitHub from scratch. Learn what version control is, how to use Git basics, and how to start collaborating with GitHub, all explained in plain language and with real-life analogies.

Learn what version control means, why it's important, and how Git helps you keep track of your work, all in the simplest terms.

Discover how Git lets you try new things without messing up your main work, using branches.

A gentle, analogy-driven introduction to GitHub and how it helps you share and collaborate on projects online.

Looking Back: Viewing Your Project History

1. What does 'git log' show you?

2. Why might you want to look at your commit messages?

Looking Back: Viewing Your Project History

1. What does 'git log' show you?

2. Why might you want to look at your commit messages?