How to Check the Number of Lines Changed in Your Current Git Branch Compared to Main

When working with Git, developers often need to understand how much their current branch differs from the main branch. This can help in assessing the scope of changes, planning reviews, or making decisions before merging. One useful metric is the total…


This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Shawon Saha

When working with Git, developers often need to understand how much their current branch differs from the main branch. This can help in assessing the scope of changes, planning reviews, or making decisions before merging. One useful metric is the total number of lines added and removed between branches.

Why Check Lines of Diff?

Counting the lines of code changed gives a quick snapshot of the volume of work done. It helps to:

  • Gauge the size of your feature or fix.
  • Estimate code review effort.
  • Track progress against expectations.
  • Identify large or complex changes that might require extra testing.

Using Git to Check Line Differences

The Git command line provides simple ways to check these differences precisely.

The most straightforward command is:

git diff --shortstat main...HEAD

Here’s how it works:

  • git diff shows changes between commits or branches.
  • main...HEAD compares your current branch (HEAD) with the main branch.
  • --shortstat gives a brief summary report with the total files changed, and lines added and deleted.

For example, running this command might show:

3 files changed, 45 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-)

This means across 3 files, you've added 45 lines and removed 20 lines compared to main.

Getting More Detailed Line Counts

If you want to see the exact line changes per file, you can use:

git diff main...HEAD --numstat

This command outputs a list where each line contains the number of added and deleted lines per file. It’s handy for deeper inspection or for scripting purposes.


This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Shawon Saha


Print Share Comment Cite Upload Translate Updates
APA

Shawon Saha | Sciencx (2025-11-24T10:48:29+00:00) How to Check the Number of Lines Changed in Your Current Git Branch Compared to Main. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/11/24/how-to-check-the-number-of-lines-changed-in-your-current-git-branch-compared-to-main/

MLA
" » How to Check the Number of Lines Changed in Your Current Git Branch Compared to Main." Shawon Saha | Sciencx - Monday November 24, 2025, https://www.scien.cx/2025/11/24/how-to-check-the-number-of-lines-changed-in-your-current-git-branch-compared-to-main/
HARVARD
Shawon Saha | Sciencx Monday November 24, 2025 » How to Check the Number of Lines Changed in Your Current Git Branch Compared to Main., viewed ,<https://www.scien.cx/2025/11/24/how-to-check-the-number-of-lines-changed-in-your-current-git-branch-compared-to-main/>
VANCOUVER
Shawon Saha | Sciencx - » How to Check the Number of Lines Changed in Your Current Git Branch Compared to Main. [Internet]. [Accessed ]. Available from: https://www.scien.cx/2025/11/24/how-to-check-the-number-of-lines-changed-in-your-current-git-branch-compared-to-main/
CHICAGO
" » How to Check the Number of Lines Changed in Your Current Git Branch Compared to Main." Shawon Saha | Sciencx - Accessed . https://www.scien.cx/2025/11/24/how-to-check-the-number-of-lines-changed-in-your-current-git-branch-compared-to-main/
IEEE
" » How to Check the Number of Lines Changed in Your Current Git Branch Compared to Main." Shawon Saha | Sciencx [Online]. Available: https://www.scien.cx/2025/11/24/how-to-check-the-number-of-lines-changed-in-your-current-git-branch-compared-to-main/. [Accessed: ]
rf:citation
» How to Check the Number of Lines Changed in Your Current Git Branch Compared to Main | Shawon Saha | Sciencx | https://www.scien.cx/2025/11/24/how-to-check-the-number-of-lines-changed-in-your-current-git-branch-compared-to-main/ |

Please log in to upload a file.



There are no updates yet.
Click the Upload button above to add an update.

You must be logged in to translate posts. Please log in or register.

Related Posts