Git

The everyday subset of Git: set up, branch, commit, fix mistakes, and share your work.

Getting started

git init: Create a new repository in the current folder
git clone <url>: Copy a remote repository locally
git status: Show changed, staged and untracked files
git log --oneline --graph: Compact history with branch structure

Staging & committing

git add -p: Stage changes hunk by hunk (interactive)
git commit -m "msg": Commit staged changes with a message
git commit --amend: Fold staged changes into the last commit
git diff --staged: See exactly what will be committed

Branching

git switch -c feature: Create and move to a new branch
git switch main: Move to an existing branch
git branch -d feature: Delete a merged branch (-D to force)
git merge feature: Merge a branch into the current one
git rebase main: Replay your commits on top of main

Undoing things

git restore file: Discard unstaged changes to a file
git restore --staged file: Unstage, keep the edits
git reset --soft HEAD~1: Undo last commit, keep changes staged
git revert <sha>: New commit that reverses an old one (safe on shared branches)
git reflog: Find "lost" commits after a bad reset

Remotes

git fetch --prune: Download remote changes, drop stale branches
git pull --rebase: Fetch and rebase instead of creating merge commits
git push -u origin feature: Push and set upstream for the branch
git push --force-with-lease: Safer force push after a rebase

Stash & cherry-pick

git stash -u: Shelve changes incl. untracked files
git stash pop: Re-apply and drop the latest stash
git cherry-pick <sha>: Apply a single commit onto the current branch
git bisect start: Binary-search history for the commit that broke things

Tip: Add git config --global alias.lg "log --oneline --graph --decorate --all" once and enjoy git lg forever.

A typical feature workflow

# start from fresh main
git switch main && git pull --rebase
git switch -c feat/search-box

# work, then commit in small pieces
git add -p
git commit -m "Add search box to header"

# keep up to date and publish
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main
git push -u origin feat/search-box