This post contains a list of basic Git essential commands that are very handy.
1. Setup Git configs for new user
This will associate the user's details with a commit, this will set up Git configs at the global level:
- Setup user name
git config --global user.name "User Name"
- Setup email address
git config --global user.email "someone@somehwere.com"
- List user's Git config
git config --list
--Output--
user.name=User Name
user.email=someone@somehwere.com
- Setup alias/shortcut for Git commands, e.g. setting status cmd as st
git config --global alias.st status
2. Setup auto-completion
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash -o ~/.git-completion.bash
Configure script based upon type of shell you're using:
- bash add below script in .bash_profile file under home directory e.g. /home/username/.bash_profile
- zsh add below script in .zshenv file under home directory e.g. /home/username/.zshenv
Script:
if [ -f ~/.git-completion.bash ]; then
. ~/.git-completion.bash
fi
3. File difference in the working directory
3.1 Simple way to see file difference
git diff filename
E.g.
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git diff first-file.txt
--Output--
diff --git a/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt b/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
index 86ac065..d2c8cc9 100644
--- a/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
+++ b/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-my first file
+my first file modified
3.2 Intuitive way to see file difference, it highlights what words were changed
git diff --color-words filename
E.g.
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git diff --color-words first-file.txt
--Output--
diff --git a/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt b/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
index 86ac065..d2c8cc9 100644
--- a/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
+++ b/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
my first file **modified**
4. File difference in staging index
4.1 Intuitive way to see file difference, it highlights what words were changed
git diff --staged --color-words filename
E.g.
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git diff --staged --color-words first-file.txt
--Output--
diff --git a/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt b/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
index 86ac065..d2c8cc9 100644
--- a/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
+++ b/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
my first file **modified**
Note: Remove
--color-wordsoption to get the difference in a regular way.
5. Remove/Delete file
It deletes the file and adds the change to the staging index
git rm filename
E.g.
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git rm third-file.txt
rm 'git-useful-commands/third-file.txt'
--Output--
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git st
On branch main
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/main' by 3 commits.
(use "git push" to publish your local commits)
Changes to be committed:
(use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)
deleted: third-file.txt
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git commit -m "Delete third file"
[main 4dcfd37] Delete third file
1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)
delete mode 100644 git-useful-commands/third-file.txt
6. Rename the file
It renames the file and adds the change to the staging index
git mv filename new-filename
E.g.
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git mv first-file.txt first-text-file.txt
--Output--
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git st
On branch main
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/main' by 4 commits.
(use "git push" to publish your local commits)
Changes to be committed:
(use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)
renamed: first-file.txt -> first-text-file.txt
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git commit -m "Rename first file"
[main 3496e22] Rename first file
1 file changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
rename git-useful-commands/{first-file.txt => first-text-file.txt} (100%)
7. Check last commit metadata
git log -n1
E.g.
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git log -n1
--Output--
commit 3496e22a89ce3990dcca942b9854acca5e0eff86 (HEAD -> main)
Author: Animesh <email@address.com>
Date: Fri Sep 10 21:40:20 2021 -0500
Rename first file
Similarly use n2, n3, n4 ...nn to see last n commit's metadata
8. Check a particular commit details
git show hashvalue
E.g.
Get the hash/SHA1 value of the commit
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git log -n1
commit 3a17071be9814994d392eb392fd5c7d17f5cb4cf (HEAD -> main)
Author: Animesh <email@address.com>
Date: Fri Sep 10 21:40:20 2021 -0500
Rename first file
3a17071be9814994d392eb392fd5c7d17f5cb4cf is the hash/SHA1 value, to see details first few hex chars are enough, I'll be using first 7 chars
ak@--mac git-useful-commands % git show 3a17071
--Output--
commit 3a17071be9814994d392eb392fd5c7d17f5cb4cf (HEAD -> main)
Author: Animesh <email@address.com>
Date: Fri Sep 10 21:40:20 2021 -0500
Rename first file
diff --git a/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt b/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
index d2c8cc9..a6d7017 100644
--- a/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
+++ b/git-useful-commands/first-file.txt
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
my first file modified
+
+Modify one more time
I intended to keep the post short, hence I have divided it into two parts, part two is here Git basic: essential commands - Part 2
Happy Coding!
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