DEV Community

Cover image for Why I Bash Git (And Why You Should Too)
Jimmy McBride
Jimmy McBride Subscriber

Posted on • Edited on • Originally published at jimmymcbride.dev

Why I Bash Git (And Why You Should Too)

A lot of people these days use tools like oh-my-zsh that come packed with a ton of helpful features out of the box, including Git shortcuts. And don’t get me wrong—they’re great. But I think it’s really important to understand how things work under the hood. You can slap on all the tools you want, but there’s real value in building your own workflow from the ground up.

If you’re curious about my take on why you should write your own tools, you can check out my thoughts here. But for now, I want to show you how Bash functions and aliases can make Git workflows faster, easier, and just plain better. I hope this post gets you excited to dig into your shell’s rc file and start writing your own custom functions and aliases, not just for Git, but for everything you do!


1. Git Aliases

First up, let’s simplify some of those common Git commands. Here are some aliases I’ve set up to make life a little easier in the terminal. Why type a long command every time when you can shorten it to two letters?

alias gs="git status"    # Show Git status
alias ga="git add ."     # Add all files to the staging area
alias gc="git commit -m" # Commit with a message
alias gp="git push"      # Push the current branch to the remote
alias gl="git pull"      # Pull from the remote branch
alias glog="git log --oneline --graph --all --decorate" # View Git log in one-line format
alias gco="git checkout" # Checkout a branch
alias gcb="git checkout -b" # Create and switch to a new branch
alias gd="git diff --cached" # View the difference of staged changes
alias grh="git reset --hard HEAD" # Hard reset to the latest commit
alias gb="git branch -vv"  # Show branches and last commit in one-line format
alias gf="git fetch --all" # Fetch all remote branches
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

These aliases shave off seconds, but those seconds add up. Plus, they just feel good to use.


2. Bash Functions for More Complex Git Workflows

Now, let’s kick it up a notch with some custom Bash functions that automate a bit more of your workflow. Functions like these can save you from typing out multiple commands and ensure you don’t miss any steps.

2.1. Create a New Branch and Push It

gnew() {
  git checkout -b "$1"
  git push -u origin "$1"
}
# Usage: gnew branch_name
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

2.2. Quick Commit and Push

gquick() {
  got add .
  git commit -m "$1"
  git push
}
# Usage: gquick "commit message"
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

2.3. Rebase Current Branch onto Main

grebase() {
  git fetch
  git rebase origin/main
}
# Usage: grebase
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

2.4. Undo the Last Commit

gundo() {
  git reset --soft HEAD~1
}
# Usage: gundo
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

2.5. Squash Commits

gsquash() {
  git reset --soft HEAD~"$1"
  git commit --amend
}
# Usage: gsquash 3 (to squash the last 3 commits)
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

2.6. Sync Fork with Upstream

gupdate-fork() {
  git fetch upstream
  git checkout main
  git merge upstream/main
  git push origin main
}
# Usage: gupdate-fork
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

2.7. Interactive Rebase on Previous Commits

grebasei() {
  git rebase -i HEAD~"$1"
}
# Usage: grebasei 3 (to interactively rebase the last 3 commits)
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

3. General Workflow Enhancers

These final functions enhance general Git workflows to make things even more efficient.

3.1. Show Git Tree

glogtree() {
  git log --graph --oneline --decorate --all
}
# Usage: glogtree
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

3.2. Reset Branch to Remote

gresetremote() {
  git fetch origin
  git reset --hard origin/"$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)"
}
# Usage: gresetremote
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

4. Add Aliases and Functions to Your .bashrc or .zshrc

If you want these functions and aliases to persist across terminal sessions, you’ll need to add them to your .bashrc or .zshrc. Here’s how:

  1. Open your shell configuration file:

    nvim ~/.bashrc  # OR ~/.zshrc
    
  2. Paste the aliases and functions into the file.

  3. After saving, refresh your shell:

    source ~/.bashrc  # OR ~/.zshrc
    

These are just some of the ways you can make Git work for you, rather than the other way around. By taking a few minutes to tweak your shell setup, you can save hours of typing and clicking over time. So what about you?

Top comments (54)

Collapse
 
cavo789 profile image
Christophe Avonture

For you gnew function : by adding the code below in your ~/.gitconfig, the branch will be automatically created in your repo with the first git push

[push]
    autoSetupRemote = true
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Using that config, your gnew function is perhaps useless.

Collapse
 
hugomcm profile image
hugomcm

Hello there! Good to know that there is a .gitconfig setting that does that ;).
But in some cases, the function is really usefull, for example if you want to create a remote branch with a different name.

gnew() {
  git checkout -b "$1"
  git push -u origin "$1:ready/$1/$$"
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
Collapse
 
jimmymcbride profile image
Jimmy McBride

Woa! I've actually never edited my git config like that. Didn't even know it! Will have to check out the configuration options! Very cool.

Collapse
 
cavo789 profile image
Christophe Avonture

A few days ago I've published an article about tips & tricks about .gitconfig : avonture.be/blog/git-config

Thread Thread
 
josephj11 profile image
Joe

Your linked post has 0 feedback. I am signed in to GitHub, but it wouldn't let me upvote it or add a comment.

Thread Thread
 
cavo789 profile image
Christophe Avonture

(Oh? Thanks for the intention anyway ;-))

Collapse
 
drazenbebic profile image
Drazen Bebic

Those are some amazing aliases, simple and efficient. Love it. Added them to my .zshrc already :D

I generally feel like a lot of developers don't know how much easier they can make their lives with a few bash aliases/functions. Here is one of my new all-time favorites which I added today. It recursively deletes a directory with a specific name in your current working directory (use with caution!). I use it to delete all node_modules in a monorepo.

rmrfd() {
  find . -name "$1" -type d -exec rm -rf {} +
}
# Usage: rmrfd node_modules
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
Collapse
 
jimmymcbride profile image
Jimmy McBride

Very cool! Now this is what I'm talking about. 😎

Collapse
 
syedrakib profile image
Rakib Al Hasan

Or use a GUI tool like sourcetree or fork. Really let's you achieve a lot very quickly and in short time. And also, discover many features and abilities of git by exploring the GUI tool - which otherwise we probably would've never actively enquired about.

Of course, all of this recommended after you have mastered basic Git CLI and know how git works under the hood.

Collapse
 
jimmymcbride profile image
Jimmy McBride

I have a discussion going around this very topic right here! :)

Collapse
 
manchicken profile image
Mike Stemle

I won’t use any of these samples (git commands are just baked into my brain at this point) but I love that you’re thinking of ways to improve your workflow, and that you’re using your shell to do it.

Collapse
 
masudalimrancasual profile image
Masud Al Imran

I will agree with @manchicken too. Over the years git commands kinda got baked into my brain as well. But its nice to see some amazing options. Thanks for sharing.

Collapse
 
jimmymcbride profile image
Jimmy McBride

The purpose isn't to exactly get people to follow what I do. But rather show people how I solve common problems using the shell. There's so much power at your fingertips. Whatever I can do to inspire people to become less afraid of the beautiful terminal :)

Collapse
 
manchicken profile image
Mike Stemle

Strong agree. Thanks for spreading the $TERM love.

Collapse
 
lazyguru profile image
Joe Constant

"2.3. Rebase Current Branch onto Main"

Could be made faster if you just did: git rebase origin/main. No need to switch branches at all

Collapse
 
oculus42 profile image
Samuel Rouse

That wouldn't guarantee you have the latest commits from origin. Git is "lazy" about fetching updates. If you don't specifically checkout and pull, you would rebase to the last state you left main.

Collapse
 
lazyguru profile image
Joe Constant

It doesn't pull from local. That's the point of using origin/main instead of just main. You might need to git fetch, but you don't need to switch to main and pull. You can rebase from your other branch

Thread Thread
 
jimmymcbride profile image
Jimmy McBride

Yeah, so:

git fetch
git rebase origin/main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

should be a lot faster. It's been so long since I've wrote some of these aliases and functions. It's a commands shorter, and it would be faster technically. Tested it out this morning and everything seems like it works like it's supposed to! I appropriate the optimization :) You're correct on that call!

Collapse
 
jimmymcbride profile image
Jimmy McBride

Oh yeah, that's right! Because it's grabbing from local instead of remote. This is why we test things out before making changes ;)

Collapse
 
jimmymcbride profile image
Jimmy McBride

Thanks for the advice! I'll test it out and update my script. Good catch! 😎

Collapse
 
erickrodrcodes profile image
Erick Rodriguez

you know... I can do what you do with Powershell. and is FASTER than git bash.

(git for windows is sort of garbage, but zsh is another realm that is for linux or macOs)

you can do it over here: powershellgallery.com/packages/git...

Collapse
 
jimmymcbride profile image
Jimmy McBride

I hope people on Windows check this out!

Collapse
 
natescode profile image
Nathan Hedglin

Agreed! Especially now with AI, it is super easy to create new aliases and scripts.

Here is my Git config with aliases etc.

Also, I use Better Branch for pretty branch info

Collapse
 
darkwiiplayer profile image
𒎏Wii 🏳️‍⚧️
main = !git checkout main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

This could just be

main = checkout main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

to make your git config a little less cluttered 😉

Collapse
 
vigo profile image
Uğur "vigo" Özyılmazel

humble tip:

When you constantly use custom bash aliases, you tend to forget the actual commands :) And when you switch to a teammate's computer where those aliases don't exist, you feel completely lost :)

Collapse
 
dwgillies profile image
Donald Gillies

I tell people, "GIT makes hard things possible. It makes easy things possible, too!", LOL. Its the first version control system that requires you to memorize every detail of how its implemented to have a snowball's chance in hell of mastering it. ..

Collapse
 
vikasnautiyal profile image
vikas nautiyal

Pretty cool, I like aliases as they come handy, In my bashrc I source an aliases file wherin I define git co for checkout, git st for git status git cp for cherry-pick, ..etc. I plan to build some Complex Git Workflows soon.

Collapse
 
jimmymcbride profile image
Jimmy McBride

Bash functions work perfectly for those more complex flows! :)

Some comments may only be visible to logged-in visitors. Sign in to view all comments.