Junio C Hamano <gitster@xxxxxxxxx> writes: > You only said "a lost file" without giving any specifics, so it is > totally unclear to readers of your message how strings like > "titlesplit" and "filesplit" relate to what you are looking for. In > the above I randomly made a blind guess that it might be a function > name, but I may be totally off the mark. > > - Do you mean "I think the file I removed had a name with either > titlesplit or filesplit in it?" > > - Or do you mean "I know that the file had a definition of a > function whose name was either titlesplit or filesplit?" > > - Or something completely different from the above two? > > If I know all of the followings are true: > > - I had the necessary contents committed in Git; > > - I do not remember the filename at all, but I am sure I deleted it > and committed the deletion some time ago; > > - I know the lost contents I am looking for had a string "frotz" in > it. > > then I would probably try > > $ git log -Sfrotz --diff-filter=D -p > > which will look for all file deletions throughout the history, > limiting the output to those that had string "frotz" in them. > > But again, it is unclear what useful clue you have to locate the > lost file from your description, so ... If the scenario were - I know the file were once committed in Git; - I do not remember the filename, but I think its name had either "frotz" or "nitfol" in it; then I would try this instead: $ git log --diff-filter=D --summary -- '*frotz*' '*nitfol*'