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P4 CLI Documentation | 2026.1

# p4 describe (graph)

Display a commit description.

## Syntax

    p4 describe -n //repo/name [-a -doptions -s] sha

Syntax and naming conventions

## Description

Display information about the specified commit.

- Specify the repo name after -n

- `sha` is the corresponding `sha1` of the commit

For commits that include a submodule version change, see example for submodule .

## Options

Option | Description
--- | ---
-a | Display the content of added files in addition to diff of updated files.
`-d`options`` | Passes one or more options to the built-in diff routine to modify the output
`-s` | Display a shortened output that excludes the diffs of the files that were updated.

The diff options supported by `p4 describe` are:

Option | Name
--- | ---
`-dn` | RCS output format, showing additions and deletions made to the file and associated line ranges.
`-dc[`num`]` | context output format, showing line number ranges and num lines of context around the changes.
`-ds` | summary output format, showing only the number of chunks and lines added, deleted, or changed.
`-du[`num`]` | unified output format, showing added and deleted lines with num lines of context, in a form compatible with the `patch(1)` utility.
`-dl` | ignore line-ending (CR/LF) convention when finding diffs
`-db` | ignore changes made within whitespace; this option implies `-dl`.
`-dw` | ignore whitespace altogether; this option implies `-dl`.

## Usage notes

Can file arguments use revision specifier? | Can file arguments use revision range? | Minimal access level required
--- | --- | ---
N/A | N/A | `list` protection on path

## Examples

`p4 describe` `-n //repo/name SHA1`

where `SHA1` represents the commit `SHA1` that is created after the submit occurs. A changelist that is pending does not yet have a `SHA1`.

### example for submodule

If the commit includes a submodule version change, `p4 describe` includes the submodule commit-sha values for before and after the version change in the submodule. Suppose that:

- we have a repo for main, and another repo for a submodule within main

- the main repo has a commit for an update to the submodule

The output of `p4 describe` on the main commit includes two commit-sha values that pertain to the submodule:

This command:

`p4 describe -n //repo/platform/main 2c3e8c266e698b5b8f820090925d660`

outputs:

Copy

    p4 describe -n //repo/platform/main 2c3e8c266e698b5b8f820090925d660
    commit 2c3e8c266e698b5b8f820090925d660
    Author: maria &lt;maria@company.com&gt;
    Date: 2021/09/11 15:09:53
    bump-utils-in-main
    Affected files ...
    //repo/platform/main/lib/utils (edit)
    Differences ...
    ==== //repo/platform/main/lib/utils (Submodule) ====
    &lt;#6fa3f5d92439dfa23616385ef72fd60397204
    &gt;#4169ea6176af01fb9ef3b6fc3b5ecf617df80

where `#6fa3f5d92439dfa23616385ef72fd60397204` is the submodule commit-sha for before the current commit in main, and

`#4169ea6176af01fb9ef3b6fc3b5ecf617df80` is the submodule commit-sha for after the current commit in main.

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