What is the purpose of `git cat-file` and what does it reveal about Git’s internals?

Question

Git — Hard

What is the purpose of `git cat-file` and what does it reveal about Git’s internals?

Accepted Answer

`git cat-file` is a plumbing command in Git that provides information about Git objects by their SHA, allowing users to inspect raw blobs, trees, commits, and tags. This command is essential for understanding Git's object model and for creating tools that interact with Git internals.