git-history

Git History is a tool for watching how a file has changed over time in a Git repository. Instead of scrolling through raw commit logs, it shows you an animated replay of the file at each point in its history, so you can see edits appear and disappear as you step through time.

The quickest way to use it requires no installation. If you are looking at a file on GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket, you just change the domain in your browser's address bar. For example, replace github.com with github.githistory.xyz and the site loads an animated view of that file's history. Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox add an "Open in Git History" button directly to those hosting sites so you do not have to retype the URL manually.

For files that live on your own computer rather than a public hosting platform, the project offers two options. There is a command-line tool you can run locally against any Git repository on your machine, and there is a VS Code extension that adds the same view inside the code editor.

The project is licensed under MIT, meaning it is free to use, modify, and redistribute. It is built on top of a few other open-source tools for syntax highlighting and showing differences between versions of text. The author accepts financial support through Patreon and Open Collective for ongoing maintenance.