name: jj
description: Expert guidance for using JJ (Jujutsu) version control system. Use when user mentions jj, jujutsu, or needs version control in JJ-managed repositories. Covers commands, revsets, templates, evolog, operations log, and git interop.
Provide expert guidance for JJ version control operations. Help users understand JJ's mental model (immutable change IDs, auto-snapshots, conflicts don't block) and execute commands correctly.
jj log -r <revset> [-p] # View history (-p: diffs)
jj show -r <rev> # Revision details
jj new [-A] <base> # Create revision (-A: insert after)
jj edit <rev> # Switch to revision
jj desc -r <rev> -m "text" # Set description
jj diff # Changes in @
jj restore <fileset> # Discard changes
jj rebase -s <src> -o <dest> # Rebase onto dest
jj undo # Undo last operation
- JJ operation completed without error
- Working copy (@) in expected state
- Revision graph reflects intended structure
- For rebases/splits: no unintended conflicts introduced
- Change IDs (immutable) vs Commit IDs (content-hash, changes on edit)
- Operations log: every operation can be undone (progressive `jj undo`, `jj redo` reverses)
- No staging area: working copy auto-snapshots
- Conflicts don't block: resolve later
- Commits are lightweight: edit freely
- Colocated by default: Git repos have both `.jj` and `.git` (since v0.34)
- Three DSLs:
- revsets: select revisions (a change ID is a valid singleton revset)
- filesets: select files (a filepath is a valid singleton fileset)
- templates: control output format
jj log -r <revset> [-p] # View history (--patch/-p: include diffs)
jj log -r <revset> -G # -G is short for --no-graph
jj show -r <rev> # Show revision details (description + diff)
jj evolog -r <rev> [-p] # View a revision's evolution
jj new [-A] <base> # Create revision and edit it (-A: insert after base)
jj new --no-edit <base> # Create without switching
jj edit <rev> # Switch to editing revision
jj desc -r <rev> -m "text" # Set description
jj metaedit -r <rev> -m "text" # Modify metadata (author, timestamps, description)
jj diff # Changes in @
jj diff -r <rev> # Changes in revision
jj file show -r <rev> <fileset> # Show file contents at revision
jj restore <fileset> # Discard changes to files
jj restore --from <commit-id> <fileset> # Restore from another revision
jj split -r <rev> <paths> -m "text" # Split into two revisions
jj absorb # Auto-squash changes into ancestor commits
jj rebase -s <src> -o <dest> # Rebase with descendants onto dest
jj rebase -r <rev> -o <dest> # Rebase single revision onto dest
jj rebase -s 'a | b | c' -o <dest> # Batch: multiple roots via revset union
jj file annotate <path> # Blame: who changed each line
jj bisect run -- <cmd> # Binary search for bug-introducing commit
jj undo # Undo last operation (progressive)
jj redo # Redo undone operation
jj sign -r <rev> # Cryptographically sign commit
jj unsign -r <rev> # Remove signature
jj revert -r <rev> # Create commit that reverts changes
jj tag set <name> -r <rev> # Create/update local tag
jj tag delete <name> # Delete local tag
jj git colocation enable # Convert to colocated repo
jj git colocation disable # Convert to non-colocated
```bash
@, @-, @-- # Working copy, parent(s), grandparent(s)
::@ # Ancestors
@:: # Descendants
mine() # Your changes
conflicted() # Has conflicts
visible() # Visible revisions
hidden() # Hidden revisions
description(substring-i:"text") # Match description (partial, case-insensitive)
subject(substring:"text") # Match first line only
signed() # Cryptographically signed commits
A | B, A & B, A ~ B # Union, intersection, difference
change_id(prefix) # Explicit change ID prefix lookup
parents(x, 2) # Parents with depth
exactly(x, 3) # Assert exactly N revisions
```
Use `-r` not `--revisions`:
```bash
jj log -r xyz # correct
jj log --revisions xyz # error
```
Use `--no-edit` for parallel branches:
```bash
jj new parent -m "A"; jj new -m "B" # B is child of A
jj new --no-edit parent -m "A"; jj new --no-edit parent -m "B" # Both children of parent
```
Quote revsets in shell:
```bash
jj log -r 'description(substring:"[todo]")'
```
Use `-o`/`--onto` instead of deprecated `-d`/`--destination` (v0.36+):
```bash
jj rebase -s xyz -o main # correct
jj rebase -s xyz -d main # deprecated
```
Symbol expressions are stricter (v0.32+). Revset symbols no longer resolve to multiple revisions:
```bash
jj log -r abc # error if 'abc' matches multiple change IDs
jj log -r 'change_id(abc)' # explicit prefix query
jj log -r 'bookmarks(abc)' # for bookmark name patterns
```
Glob patterns are default in filesets (v0.36+):
```bash
jj diff 'src/*.rs' # matches glob pattern by default
jj diff 'cwd:"src/*.rs"' # use cwd: prefix for literal path
```
Don't use glob with `[` brackets in description() - they're character classes:
```bash
jj log -r 'description(glob:"*[task:*]*")' # WRONG - [task:*] is char class
jj log -r 'description(substring:"[task:")' # CORRECT
jj log -r 'tasks()' # BEST - use alias
```
jj op log # Find operation before problem
jj op restore <op-id> # Restore WHOLE repository to that state
- Run `jj help -k bookmarks` - bookmarks, git branches, push/fetch
- Run `jj help -k revsets` - revset DSL syntax
- Run `jj help -k filesets` - filepath selection DSL
- Run `jj help -k templates` - template language
- All subcommands have detailed `--help`
- `references/command-syntax.md` - command flag details
- `references/batch-operations.md` - batch transformations
By