Git Dig (find deleted files whose content matches a regex)

git_dig.rb

#!/usr/bin/env ruby

require 'optparse'
require 'open3'

def files_with_search_query(sha, search_query)
  `git show --format="" --name-only #{sha} -i --pickaxe-regex -S #{search_query}`.split("\n")
end

def grep_over_file(sha, file, search_query)
  git_show_cmd = "git show --format='' -p #{sha} -- '#{file}'"
  grep_cmd = "grep -i --color=always -E #{search_query}"
  `#{git_show_cmd} | #{grep_cmd}`
end

def git_pickaxe_search(search_query, options, &block)
  git_log_cmd = "git log --no-merges --format=%h"
  git_log_cmd += " --after=\"#{options[:after]}\"" if options[:after]
  git_log_cmd += " --before=\"#{options[:before]}\"" if options[:before]
  git_log_cmd += " -i --pickaxe-regex -S #{search_query}"

  Open3.popen3(git_log_cmd) do |stdin, stdout, stderr, thread|
    yield(stdout)
  end
end

def git_commit_info(sha)
  `git show --no-patch #{sha}`
end

def find_root_dir
  current_dir = Dir.pwd

  until Dir.exist?([current_dir, ".git"].join(File::SEPARATOR)) do
    parent_dir = File.dirname(current_dir)

    if parent_dir == current_dir
      puts "No .git repo found in path (or parent paths)."
      exit
    end

    current_dir = parent_dir
  end

  current_dir
end

# Handle options
options = {}
OptionParser.new do |opts|
  opts.banner = "Usage: git-dig [options] [regex query]"

  opts.on("--after=DATE", "Only searches commits more recent than the specific date.") do |v|
    options[:after] = v
  end

  opts.on("--before=DATE", "Only searches commits older recent than the specific date.") do |v|
    options[:before] = v
  end

  opts.on("-h", "--help", "Prints this help") do
    puts opts
    exit
  end
end.parse!

# Get search query
search_query = "\"#{ARGV.first}\""
if search_query == '""' # empty search as it would just be a pair of quotes
  puts "You need to pass a search term as input."
  exit
end

puts "Searching for any commits with any 'additions/removals'"
puts "  Matching regex: #{search_query}"
if options[:after] || options[:before]
  puts "  With search options: #{options}"
end
puts ""

# Get SHAs of all commits which had some 'addition/removal' of the search term
git_pickaxe_search(search_query, options) do |stdout|
  while line = stdout.gets
    exit if line.nil?

    sha = line.strip

    puts git_commit_info(sha)
    puts ""

    # Print diff of files which have search term
    files_with_search_query(sha, search_query).each do |file|
      puts "FILE -> #{file}"
      puts grep_over_file(sha, file, search_query)
      puts ""
    end

    puts "-"*80
    puts ""
  end
end

LICENSE

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 Kevin Jalbert

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

Very useful, thank you!

Hi Kevin, this is a great script! I would love to use it in a project I'm working on. I noticed there isn't a LICENSE file in the repository. Would you be willing to add one? An open-source license like MIT would be fantastic. Thanks!

@alex-peresunko Added one! Would be curious to see how it gets used eventually.

Fantastic! Thank you so much.