Re: Expected behaviour of 'git log -S' when searching in a merged/deleted file?

[Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>]

Jonathan del Strother <jdelstrother@gmail.com> writes:

> ....  If 'needle' was added
> and removed within the duration of a single branch, I could understand
> "git log -S" never finding 'needle' due to history simplication, but I
> don't understand how simplification applies here.

Ahh, sorry, I misunderstood the scenario.  Just like you do not see a
patch output from "log -p", the diff machinery (including -S and its newer
cousin -G) does not kick in by default for merge commits (this is a bit of
white lie as "log -p" defaults to "combine diff", i.e. be silent on any
uninteresting merge that takes its results literally from either parent).

Please try it with "-m" (not "--full-history").  We _might_ want to change
this behaviour for -S/-G but it needs a bit more thought.