Restrict a diff to one chosen path.
Git: Use the double dash separator to distinguish a filename from revisions or options.
set -euo pipefail
git diff --name-only -- note.txtExpected output EXAMPLE
note.txt
Details
Requires Git and Bash. Run in a disposable practice repository. The test setup below creates the starting files and commits. Use the double dash separator to distinguish a filename from revisions or options. The input setup creates a disposable practice repository with a fictional local author identity. Run these examples only in that repository.
Tested on Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS · · git version 2.43.0 · git 1:2.43.0-1ubuntu7.3
Test inputs, results and environment
The exact published code ran in a dedicated Linux test container with prepared inputs. Snippet process uid 65534 with a read-only root filesystem and temporary working files. Networking disabled. Fixtures and output records are isolated from the application database. Testing covers this example and its stated checks, not every input, operating system, or runtime version. The Linux container shares its host's kernel; this is not a native Windows test.
- Architecture / host kernel
- x86_64 / 6.18.54.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2
- Snippet identity / locale
- uid=65534, gid=65534 (unprivileged process) / C.UTF-8
- Interpreter invocation
bash -euo pipefail -c <published code>- Container image ID
sha256:ec91410a8f6ec3e985830b5e3a0560306d36f8c1c5ccd91a6699abe707123fa3- Code SHA-256
2144a1f8b012506e09be0014d05ade4adc94b0f1847898d1c81d214aec325ea7- Dependencies
- git 1:2.43.0-1ubuntu7.3
Test input setup
These are the prepared inputs used by the test harness. See Details above for the prerequisites and how to run this example.
git init -q -b main git config user.name 'Example Developer' git config user.email 'developer@example.invalid' git config commit.gpgsign false git config tag.gpgsign false git config color.ui false printf 'first ' > note.txt git add note.txt git commit -qm 'Initial notes' printf 'second\n' >> note.txt; touch other.txt
Observed standard output
note.txt
Exit code: 0. Standard error: empty. Validation: Exact stdout comparison. System-dependent values above are one recorded run.