Git Commands Guide

git init

Desc: Creating a git repository

git status

Desc: Provide informations about current branch, file status ( tracked / untracked / modified )

git config

Desc: configuration for git.

Usage Examples:

• git config user.email "you@example.com" // set your git email for current repo
• git config user.name "Your Name" // set your git username for current repo
• git config --global user.email "you@example.com" // set your git email globally
• git config --global user.name "Your Name" // set your git username globally

git add

Desc: Moves specified "untracked" / "modified" file(s) in working directory to git staging area.

Usage Examples:

• git add fileName // adds specified file
• git add -A // adds all untracked & modified files

git commit

Desc: Move files(s) from staging area to local repository ( Commits changes ).

Usage Examples:

• git commit -m"Comment here" // commits all files from staging area with specified comment.
• git commit -am"Comment here" // adding all modified files to staging area then commits all files from staging area with specified comment.
• git commit --author="username " // commits changes with specified author described.

*Note that git commit -am moves only modified file to staging area, untracked files must be moved manually with git add.

git log

Desc: Lists commits on current branch.

Informations provided for listed commits:

• hash
• branch
• Author
• Date
• Name

git branch

Desc: Provide informations about current selected branch and list all available branches. Can be used to configure upstream (remote branch tracking).

Usage Examples:

• git branch --set-upstream-to origin/main //sets upstream for remote repository main branch.
• git branch -u origin/main // Does exact same thing as previous - shorter version usage.

git checkout

Desc: Used to select specified branch or commit (current or from history) or create new branch.

Usage Example:

• git checkout -b branchName // creates branch with specified name.
• git checkout branchName // navigates (select) to specified branch by name.
• git checkout commitHash // navigates (select) to specified commit from history.

*Note that during new branch creation, branch template will be taken from currently selected branch (including upstream)

git remote

Desc: Manage git address of your remote repository.

Usage Example:

• git remote show origin // shows detailed info about your currently remote origin status
• git remote prune origin --dry-run // shows which references of local machine branches are no longer exist in remote.
• git remote prune origin // clears references of local machine branches that are no longer exist in remote.
• git remote add origin https://github.com/userName/repoName.git // set origin to specified repository address on github.
• git remote remove origin // removes currently used origin address.

git push

Desc: Pushing out commited changed from local repository to remote repository.

Usage Examples:

• git push // default push to remote repository. See notes for restrictions.
• git push origin HEAD // push selected branch to remote repository. Example: You are in branch test and you're pushing new/updating branch test in remote repository.
• git push origin HEAD:main // push your selected branch to specified branch. Example: You are in branch test and you're updating branch main in remote repository.

*Note that git push require same branchName as configured upstream branchName. For example if you are using branchTest then u need to configure upstream as follows: git branch -u origin/branchTest

git pull

Desc: Fetch data from remote repository.

Usage Examples:

• git pull //pull remote repository data and merge all commits.
• git pull --rebase //pull remote repository data with commits history.
• git pull origin HEAD:main --rebase //pull selected remote repository branch to your current local branch with full commits history. Example: You are in branch test and pull data from remote branch main.

*Note that default pull command merge pulled data. If you are willing to keep history of commits use --rebase parameter.

git clone

Desc: Clone remote repository.

Usage Example:

• git clone https://github.com/userName/repoName.git // clone repoName remote repository to your working directory locally.

git reflog

Desc: Shows ordered list of all local commits from past 90 days.

git reset

Desc: Used to remove files from staging area or undo commits.

Usage Example:

• git reset HEAD //remove all files from staging area.
• git reset HEAD path/to/file //remove selected file from staging area. Example: git reset Head test.txt will remove test.txt from staging area back to working directory.
• git reset --soft HEAD~1 //undo commit only and moves commited files to staging area once again.
• git reset HEAD~1 // undo last commit and pointing to previous HEAD ( changes are kept, commit deleted and commited files are moved back to working directory untracked area).
• git reset --hard HEAD~1 //undo last commit, delete commited data and pointing to previous HEAD ( both, commit and changes are deleted in this case ).

*Note that after deleting files with --hard parameter they're removed permamently. If you done this accidentally use git reflog to check your commits and restore it.

git cherry-pick

Desc: Copy just a specified commit(s) to selected branch.

Usage Example:

• git cherry-pick commitHash // Copy commit with specified hash to selected branch. Example: You're in branch thisBranch and you're picking commit with specified hash from branch anotherBranch, only this commit will be copied to thisBranch.
• git cherry-pick commitId1 commitId2 //Same as above, with difference of copying 2 commits instead of 1 and by id not by hash.

git rebase -i

Desc: interactive rebase.

Usage Example:

• git rebase -i commitHash // rebasing specific commit
• git rebase -i HEAD~1 // rebasing 1 commit ahead.
• git rebase --abort // exit interactive rebase without saving changes.

*Selected commit can be edited as description shows. For example if u want to modify author, do as following:

1. git rebase -i HEAD~1 // open interactive rebase for last commit
2. press INSERT and change "pick" to "edit" before commit you want to edit ( in our case there is only 1 commit )
3. press :wq to save
4. type git commit --amend --author="Author author@mail.com" // changes author for all files from specified commit.
5. type git rebase --continue // finish interactive rebasing.