The “git count-objects” command is used to count the number of unpacked objects in a Git repository and calculate their disk consumption. When you perform Git operations like committing, branching, or merging, Git stores the data in objects. These objects are stored in a compressed format in the repository’s object database.
Here’s how the “git count-objects” command works:
- Counting Objects: When you run the “git count-objects” command without any options, it provides information about the number of objects in the repository. It displays the count of loose objects (individual object files) and packed objects (compressed object files stored in packfiles).
- Disk Consumption: In addition to counting the objects, “git count-objects” also calculates the disk consumption of the objects. It shows the total disk size occupied by the objects in kilobytes (KB).
- Options: The “–v” or “–verbose” option provides more detailed output. It displays additional information such as the count of each object type (commits, trees, blobs, and tags) and the size of each object type.
- Object Compression: Git uses zlib compression to store objects in the repository. The “git count-objects” command calculates the disk consumption based on the compressed size of the objects.
The output of the “git count-objects” command provides valuable insights into the size and composition of the Git repository. It can be useful for monitoring the repository’s growth, identifying large objects that may contribute to excessive disk space usage, and optimizing the repository’s performance.
Note that the “git count-objects” command only provides information about the unpacked objects in the repository. Packed objects are compressed and stored in packfiles, which can be optimized using the “git repack” command.
git count-objects Command Examples
1. Count all objects and display the total disk usage:
# git count-objects
2. Display a count of all objects and their total disk usage, displaying sizes in human- readable units:
# git count-objects --human-readable
3. Display more verbose information:
# git count-objects --verbose
4. Display more verbose information, displaying sizes in human-readable units:
# git count-objects --human-readable --verbose
Summary
Overall, “git count-objects” helps you understand the object count and disk consumption in your Git repository, allowing you to manage the repository more efficiently.