Tag Operation in Git: Explained

Tag Operation in Git is easier to understand when the core ideas are paired with practical examples. The sections below explain the topic clearly, highlight useful steps, and point out details that can prevent common errors.

Tag operation allows to provide meaning names for specific versions in the repository. Suppose Tom and Jerry decide to tag them into their project code so that they can then access it easily.

Create tags

Join us in tagging the current HEAD using the git tag command. Tom provides a tag name with -a option and provides a tag information with the -m option.

 tom @ CentOS project] $ pwd 
 / home / tom / top_repo / project 

 [tom @ CentOS project] $ git tag -a 'Release_1_0' -m 'Tagged basic string operation code' HEAD

If you want to tag a specific commit, then you use the exact commit ID instead of the HEAD pointer. Tom uses the following command to push the tag into the removal area.

 [tom @ CentOS project] $ git push origin tag Release_1_0

The above command will produce the following result:

 Counting objects: 1, done. 
 Writing objects: 100% (1/1), 183 bytes, done. 
 Total 1 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0) 
 To gituser@git.server.com: project.git 
 * [new tag] 
 Release_1_0 -> Release_1_0

Observe the tags

Tom creates tags. Now, Jerry can observe all available tags using the git tag command with the -I option.

 [jerry @ CentOS src] $ pwd 
 / home / jerry / jerry_repo / project / src 

 [jerry @ CentOS src] $ git pull 
 remote: Counting objects: 1, done. 
 remote: Total 1 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0) 
 Unpacking objects: 100% (1/1), done. 
 From git.server.com:project 
 * [new tag] 
 Release_1_0 -> Release_1_0 
 Ch? ?? branch hi?n th?i l� up to date. 

 [jerry @ CentOS src] $ git -l tag 
 Release_1_0

Jerry uses the git show command followed by its tag name to get a more detailed look at the tag.

 [jerry @ CentOS src] $ git show Release_1_0

The above command will produce the following result:

 tag Release_1_0 
 Tagger: Tom Cat 
 Date: Wed Sep 11 13:45:54 2013 +0530 

 Tagged basic string operation code 


 commit 577647211ed44fe2ae479427a0668a4f12ed71a1 
 Author: Tom Cat 
 Date: Wed Sep 11 10:21:20 2013 +0530 

 Removed binary executable 

 diff --git a / src / string_operations b / src / string_operations 
 x�a ch? ?? t?p tin 100755 
 index 654004b.0000000 
 Binary files a / src / string_operations and / dev / null differ

Delete tags

Tom uses the following command to delete the tags from the repository stored internally and remotely.

 [tom @ CentOS project] $ git tag 
 Release_1_0 

 [tom @ CentOS project] $ git -d tag Release_1_0 
 Deleted tag 'Release_1_0' (was 0f81ff4) 
 # Remove th? t? remote repository. 

 [tom @ CentOS project] $ git push origin: Release_1_0 
 To gituser@git.server.com: project.git 
 - [deleted] 
 Release_1_0

FAQ

What should you know about create tags?

Join us in tagging the current HEAD using the git tag command. Tom provides a tag name with -a option and provides a tag information with the -m option.