Git Cheatsheet

About Git

Git is a distributed version control system that tracks versions of files. It is often used to control source code by programmers who are developing software collaboratively. Design goals of Git include speed, data integrity, and support for distributed, non-linear workflows — thousands of parallel branches running on different computers.

Table of Contents

• Basic Commands
• Branch Management
• Remote Operations
• Undoing Changes
• Git Configuration
• Advanced Operations

Basic Commands

1. Repository Setup

   git init                    # Initialize a new repository
   git clone <url>            # Clone a repository
   git status                 # Check repository status

2. Staging Changes

   git add <file>             # Add file to staging area
   git add .                  # Add all changes to staging area
   git add -p                 # Interactive staging

3. Committing

   git commit -m "message"    # Commit with message
   git commit -am "message"   # Add and commit in one command
   git commit --amend        # Modify the last commit

Branch Management

git branch                # List branches
git branch <name>         # Create new branch
git checkout <branch>     # Switch to branch
git checkout -b <branch>  # Create and switch to new branch
git switch <branch>       # Switch to branch (new syntax)
git switch -c <branch>    # Create and switch to new branch (new syntax)

git merge <branch>        # Merge branch into current branch
git rebase <branch>       # Rebase current branch onto another
git merge --abort         # Abort merge in case of conflicts
git rebase --abort        # Abort rebase

Remote Operations

git remote add origin <url>   # Add remote repository
git remote -v                # List remote repositories
git push origin <branch>     # Push changes to remote
git pull origin <branch>     # Pull changes from remote
git fetch origin            # Fetch changes without merging

Undoing Changes

1. Working Directory

   git checkout -- <file>     # Discard changes in working directory
   git clean -fd             # Remove untracked files and directories

2. Staged Changes

   git reset <file>          # Unstage changes
   git reset                 # Unstage all changes

3. Commits

   git reset --soft HEAD~1   # Undo last commit, keep changes staged
   git reset --hard HEAD~1   # Undo last commit and discard changes
   git revert <commit>       # Create new commit that undoes changes

Git Configuration

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your@email.com"
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"  # Set VS Code as default editor
git config --list           # List all configurations

Advanced Operations

git stash                # Stash changes
git stash list          # List stashes
git stash pop           # Apply and remove latest stash
git stash apply         # Apply latest stash without removing it

git log                  # View commit history
git log --oneline       # Compact commit history
git blame <file>        # Show who changed what in a file
git reflog              # View reference logs

git tag                  # List tags
git tag -a v1.0 -m "Version 1.0"  # Create annotated tag
git push origin --tags   # Push tags to remote

Best Practices

• Write clear, descriptive commit messages
• Commit early and often
• Keep branches focused and short-lived
• Pull before pushing to avoid conflicts
• Use .gitignore for files that shouldn’t be tracked
• Regularly fetch and merge from upstream
• Use meaningful branch names

Common Workflows

1. Feature Branch Workflow

   • Create feature branch
   • Make changes and commit
   • Pull latest main/develop
   • Merge or rebase
   • Push and create pull request

2. Hotfix Workflow

   • Branch from production/main
   • Fix issue and commit
   • Merge to both main and develop
   • Tag release if necessary