History command (Team Foundation Version Control)
TFS 2017 | TFS 2015 | TFS 2013
Visual Studio 2019 | Visual Studio 2017 | Visual Studio 2015 | Visual Studio 2013
Displays the revision history of one or more files or folders. The data is displayed in either the History window, or if /noprompt option is specified, at the command prompt.
Prerequisites
Syntax
tf hist[ory] itemspec [/version:versionspec]
[/stopafter:number] [/recursive] [/user:username]
[/format:(brief|detailed)] [/slotmode] [/itemmode] [/noprompt]
[/login:username,[password]] [/sort:ascending,descending]
[/collection:TeamProjectCollectionUrl]
Parameters
Parameter
Description
/collection: TeamProjectCollectionUrl
Specifies the URL of the project collection that contains the items. For example: http://myserver:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection.
By default, the project collection is presumed to be the one that contains the workspace that maps the current directory.
/format
Specifies how much detail to display about each changeset when the /noprompt option is specified:
Brief (default): Displays one line about each changeset that includes: ID number, changes made, user who made the changes, date, and comment. Some of the data may be truncated.
Detailed: Displays a full description of each changeset. In addition to the above information, this option displays additional data such as date with time, items changed, check-in notes, and check-in policy warnings.
/itemmode
You cannot combine this option with the /slotmode option. See Matt Mitrik: Changing to Slot Mode in TFS 2010 Version Control.
itemspec
Specifies the items for which to display history. For syntax, see Use Team Foundation version control commands.
/noprompt
This option:
Suppresses the display of windows and dialog boxes (such as the History window) and redirects output data to the command prompt. See Use Team Foundation version control commands.
Does not display the history of revisions that occurred before an item was moved, renamed, branched, or merged.
/login:username,[password]
Specifies the user account to run the command. See Use Team Foundation version control commands.
/recursive
Recursively retrieves historical data on items in the specified directory and any subdirectories.
/slotmode
You cannot combine this option with the /itemmode option. See Matt Mitrik: Changing to Slot Mode in TFS 2010 Version Control.
/sort
Sorts the revision history for one or more files or folders in either of the following orders:
Ascending: from the oldest to the most recent revision.
Descending (default): from the most recent to the oldest revision.
You must use the /noprompt option with this option.
/stopafter:number
Specifies the maximum number of changesets to display in the history data.
/user:username
Filters the historical data to show changes made by the specified user. An asterisk (*) symbol includes data on changes from all users (the default).
/version:versionspec
Specifies one of the following limits on the history data:
The maximum version
The minimum and the maximum versions using the range ~ syntax.
The default is /version:W (the version in the workspace).
For syntax, see Use Team Foundation version control commands.
You cannot combine this option with the /slotmode option.
Examples
Get history of a single file
c:\code\SiteApp\Main\SolutionA\Project1>tf history program2.cs
Displays all changes made to program.cs in the History window.
c:\code\SiteApp\Main\SolutionA\Project1>tf history program2.cs /noprompt
Displays all changes made to program.cs in the command prompt window. For example:
Changeset Change User Date Comment
--------- -------------------------- ----------------- ---------- --------
29 edit Jamal Hartnett 4/23/2012 Fix bug
20 add Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/12/2012 Add new
Get history of all items in a folder
c:\code\SiteApp\Main\SolutionA>tf history * /recursive
Displays all changes made to all items in SolutionA (including those in subfolders) in the History window.
Get history of the last five changes to all items in a folder
c:\code\SiteApp\Main\SolutionA>tf history * /noprompt /recursive /stopafter:5
Displays the latest 5 changes made to items in SolutionA (including those in subfolders):
Changeset User Date Comment
--------- ----------------- ---------- ----------------------------------------
31 Raisa Pokrovskaya 5/15/2012
30 Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/23/2012
29 Jamal Hartnett 4/23/2012 Fix bug in new method
20 Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/12/2012 Add new method, add program2.cs to Proje
15 Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/8/2012
Get history from version x and earlier
c:\code\SiteApp\Main\SolutionA>tf history /noprompt * /recursive /v:30
Displays changes made to all items in SolutionA (including those in subfolders) in version 30 and earlier:
Changeset User Date Comment
--------- ----------------- ---------- ----------------------------------------
30 Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/23/2012
29 Jamal Hartnett 4/23/2012 Fix bug in new method
20 Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/12/2012 Add new method, add program2.cs to 15 Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/8/2012
Get history from date D and earlier
c:\code\SiteApp\Main\SolutionA>tf history /noprompt * /recursive /v:D4/24/2012
-- or --
c:\code\SiteApp\Main\SolutionA>tf history /noprompt * /recursive /v:D2012-04-24T12:00
Displays changes made to all items in SolutionA (including those in subfolders) on 4/23/12 or earlier:
Changeset User Date Comment
--------- ----------------- ---------- ----------------------------------------
30 Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/23/2012
29 Jamal Hartnett 4/23/2012 Fix bug in new method
20 Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/12/2012 Add new method, add program2.cs to 15 Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/8/2012
Get history from version x to version y
c:\code\SiteApp\Main\SolutionA>tf history /noprompt * /recursive /v:D4/12/2012~D4/24/2012
Displays changes made to all items in SolutionA (including those in subfolders) between 4/12/2012 and 4/23/12:
Changeset User Date Comment
--------- ----------------- ---------- ----------------------------------------
30 Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/23/2012
29 Jamal Hartnett 4/23/2012 Fix bug in new method
20 Raisa Pokrovskaya 4/12/2012 Add new method, add program2.cs to
Get detailed history
c:\code\SiteApp\Main\SolutionA>tf history /noprompt * /recursive /v:D4/12/2012~D4/24/2012 /format:detailed
Displays details about changes made to all items in SolutionA (including those in subfolders) between 4/12/2012 and 4/23/12:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changeset: 30
User: Raisa Pokrovskaya (Fabrikam)
Date: Monday, April 23, 2012 1:23:05 PM
Comment:
Much better name for this file
Items:
rename $/SiteApp/Main/SolutionA/Project1/programBig.cs
delete, source rename $/SiteApp/Main/SolutionA/Project1/program3.cs;X15
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changeset: 29
User: Raisa Pokrovskaya (Fabrikam)
Date: Monday, April 23, 2012 1:03:13 PM
Comment:
Fix bug in new method
Items:
edit $/SiteApp/Main/SolutionA/Project1/program1.cs
edit $/SiteApp/Main/SolutionA/Project1/program2.cs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changeset: 20
User: Raisa Pokrovskaya (Fabrikam)
Date: Thursday, April 12, 2012 5:09:35 PM
Comment:
Add new method, add program2.cs to Project1
Items:
add $/SiteApp/Main/SolutionA/Project1/program2.cs
Check-in Notes:
Documentation:
An important new part of our codebase.
Policy Warnings:
Override Reason:
Jamal agrees with me that we can bypass for this check-in.
Messages:
The Code Analysis Policy requires files to be checked in through Visual
Studio with an open solution.
Get the non-recursive history of a folder
c:\code\SiteApp\Main\SolutionA>tf history .
Displays the history of the SolutionA folder in the History window, which enables you to explore earlier changes to the folder. For example, if the most recent change to the folder was a rename, you can expand the changeset to see changes that occurred before the rename.
c:\code\SiteApp\Main\SolutionA>tf history . /noprompt
Displays the most recent change to the SolutionA folder in the command prompt window.
Work in Visual Studio
- Get the history of an item Use Visual Studio to get revision history.
Tips
For information about how to use the History window, see Get the history of an item.- To get more detailed information about a changeset (for example, you want to see associated work items):
In the History window, double-click the changeset or open its context menu and choose Changeset Details.
From the command prompt, use the Changeset Command.
- For more information about changesets, see Find and view changesets.
- The /collection option is useful for running this command from a machine and user account that does not have a workspace mapped to the Project Collection that contains the items.