Re: git log --follow doesn't follow a rename over a merge

Jeff King [off-list ref] writes:

On Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 02:31:02PM +0100, James Blackburn wrote:

quoted

I'm also interested in knowing what incantation I need to give to
actually get history of the file which was previously removed.  e.g. I
know the full path:
   plugins/org.eclipse.dd.dsf.debug/src/org/eclipse/dd/dsf/debug/service/IBreakpoints.java
used to exist, but without --follow, git log returns nothing.

Doesn't:

  git log -- plugins/org.eclipse.dd.dsf.debug/src/org/eclipse/dd/dsf/debug/service/IBreakpoints.java

do that?

If the file emerged in one branch (either the primary or a side branch) in
the past as a failed experiment and then got removed before merging back,
i.e.

   past ---o----o-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o-----o--- now
            \                          /
             o----*----o----o----*----o
                  ^added         ^removed

then the merges are simplified away and you would not see it.

Perhaps simplify-merges option may help.