How do I get the hash for the current commit in Git?

To obtain the hash of the current commit in Git, use one of the following commands:

1. Full Commit Hash

git rev-parse HEAD

• Output: The full 40-character SHA-1 hash (e.g., d0a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8a9).
• Purpose: Directly retrieves the hash of the commit where HEAD is pointing.

2. Shortened Commit Hash

git rev-parse --short HEAD

• Output: A shortened 7-character hash (e.g., d0a1b2c).
• Use Case: Useful for compact references in logs or UIs.

Alternative Methods (Same Result)

Using git log:

git log -1 --pretty=format:%H

• -1: Show only the latest commit.
• %H: Format placeholder for the full hash.

Using git show:

git show -s --format=%H

• -s: Suppress diff output.
• %H: Format placeholder for the full hash.

Key Notes

• HEAD: Refers to the current commit (works even in “detached HEAD” state).
• Edge Cases:
• Fails in a new repository with no commits (no HEAD exists).
• Always returns the hash of the commit checked out in your working directory.

Example Output

$ git rev-parse HEAD
d0a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8a9

$ git rev-parse --short HEAD
d0a1b2c