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.TH "GIT\-CAT\-FILE" "1" "09/19/2007" "Git 1.5.3.2" "Git Manual"
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.SH "NAME"
git\-cat\-file \- Provide content or type/size information for repository objects
.SH "SYNOPSIS"
\fIgit\-cat\-file\fR [\-t | \-s | \-e | \-p | <type>] <object>
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
Provides content or type of objects in the repository. The type is required unless \fI\-t\fR or \fI\-p\fR is used to find the object type, or \fI\-s\fR is used to find the object size.
.SH "OPTIONS"
.TP
<object>
The name of the object to show. For a more complete list of ways to spell object names, see "SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in \fBgit\-rev\-parse\fR(1).
.TP
\-t
Instead of the content, show the object type identified by <object>.
.TP
\-s
Instead of the content, show the object size identified by <object>.
.TP
\-e
Suppress all output; instead exit with zero status if <object> exists and is a valid object.
.TP
\-p
Pretty\-print the contents of <object> based on its type.
.TP
<type>
Typically this matches the real type of <object> but asking for a type that can trivially be dereferenced from the given <object> is also permitted. An example is to ask for a "tree" with <object> being a commit object that contains it, or to ask for a "blob" with <object> being a tag object that points at it.
.SH "OUTPUT"
If \fI\-t\fR is specified, one of the <type>.

If \fI\-s\fR is specified, the size of the <object> in bytes.

If \fI\-e\fR is specified, no output.

If \fI\-p\fR is specified, the contents of <object> are pretty\-printed.

Otherwise the raw (though uncompressed) contents of the <object> will be returned.
.SH "AUTHOR"
Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>
.SH "DOCUMENTATION"
Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git\-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
.SH "GIT"
Part of the \fBgit\fR(7) suite