The Essential Git Cheat Sheet: Master Version Control Like a Pro

Git is an indispensable tool for developers, enabling you to track changes, collaborate with others, and manage your codebase efficiently. This cheat sheet covers essential Git commands that every developer should know, along with some advanced commands for more complex tasks.

1. Setting Up Your Git Repository

Initialize a New Repository

git init

This command initializes a new Git repository in your project folder. Use it when starting a new project or to begin tracking an existing one.

Clone an Existing Repository

git clone <repository-url>

Clone an existing repository from a remote source like GitHub or Bitbucket. This is useful for contributing to a project or using an open-source library.

2. Configuring Git

Set Your Username

git config --global user.name "Your Name"

Sets your username for all Git repositories on your system.

Set Your Email

git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Sets your email address for commits.

View Your Configuration

git config --list

Lists all the Git configurations currently set.

3. Working with Your Repository

Checking the Status of Your Repository

git status

Displays the state of your working directory and staging area, showing which changes have been staged, which haven’t, and which files aren’t being tracked by Git.

Viewing a Log of Commits

git log

Shows a detailed history of commits, including author, date, and commit message.

Adding Changes to the Staging Area

git add <file-name>

Stages specific files for a commit. To stage all changes, use:

git add .

Committing Changes

git commit -m "Your commit message"

Commits the staged changes with a descriptive message. It’s good practice to write meaningful commit messages.

Commit All Changes Directly

git commit -am "Your commit message"

Stages and commits all tracked files in one step. This command does not include untracked files.

Viewing Changes

git diff

Shows the changes between your working directory and the staging area. Useful for reviewing what you've modified before committing.

Viewing a Specific File’s Changes

git diff <file-name>

Displays the changes made to a specific file.

Removing Files

git rm <file-name>

Removes a file from your working directory and stages the deletion.

Moving/Renaming Files

git mv <old-file-name> <new-file-name>

Moves or renames a file and stages the change.

4. Branching and Merging

Create a New Branch

git branch <branch-name>

Creates a new branch. Branches are used to develop features or fixes in isolation from the main codebase.

List All Branches

git branch

Lists all branches in your repository, highlighting the current branch.

Switch to a Branch

git checkout <branch-name>

Switches to the specified branch.

Create and Switch to a New Branch

git checkout -b <branch-name>

Creates a new branch and immediately switches to it.

Merge Branches

git merge <branch-name>

Merges changes from the specified branch into your current branch. This is typically used to integrate a feature branch into the main branch.

Delete a Branch

git branch -d <branch-name>

Deletes a branch that has been merged. Use -D to force-delete a branch that hasn't been merged.

Rebase Branches

git rebase <branch-name>

Rebases the current branch onto the specified branch. Rebasing can lead to a cleaner project history but should be used with caution, especially with shared branches.

5. Working with Remotes

Adding a Remote Repository

git remote add origin <repository-url>

Connects your local repository to a remote server, typically a repository on GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.

Viewing Remote Repositories

git remote -v

Lists all remotes and their URLs.

Pushing Changes to Remote

git push origin <branch-name>

Pushes your commits to the remote repository. If it’s your first push, you might need to set the upstream branch:

git push --set-upstream origin <branch-name>

Pulling Changes from Remote

git pull

Fetches and merges changes from the remote repository into your current branch.

Fetching Changes from Remote

git fetch

Downloads objects and refs from another repository. Unlike git pull, git fetch does not merge changes into your local branch automatically.

Removing a Remote Repository

git remote remove <remote-name>

Removes a remote from your repository.

6. Undoing Changes

Unstage Changes

git reset <file-name>

Removes changes from the staging area but leaves them in your working directory.

Discard Unstaged Changes

git checkout -- <file-name>

Reverts unstaged changes in your working directory to the last commit.

Revert a Commit

git revert <commit-hash>

Creates a new commit that undoes changes from a previous commit without altering the project history.

Reset to a Previous Commit

git reset --hard <commit-hash>

Rolls back your project to a specific commit, discarding all changes made after that point. Warning: This is irreversible.

Stash Changes

git stash

Temporarily saves changes that you don’t want to commit yet, allowing you to work on something else.

Apply Stashed Changes

git stash apply

Reapplies the most recently stashed changes to your working directory.

Drop a Stash

git stash drop

Removes a specific stash from your list of saved changes.

7. Advanced Git Commands

Cherry-Pick a Commit

git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

Applies the changes from a specific commit to your current branch.

Squash Commits

git rebase -i HEAD~n

Combines multiple commits into one. Replace n with the number of commits you want to squash.

View Commit History as a Graph

git log --graph --oneline --all

Displays the commit history in a graph format, showing branches and merges.

Cleaning Up Untracked Files

git clean -f

Deletes untracked files from your working directory. Add -d to remove directories and -n to perform a dry run.

Conclusion

This cheat sheet covers a broad range of Git commands that will help you manage your projects efficiently. Whether you're committing changes, branching, merging, or working with remote repositories, mastering these commands will make you more effective as a developer. Keep practicing, and these commands will soon become second nature.

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