Git CheatSheet

SETUP

Configuring user information used across all local repositories

git config --global user.name "[firstname lastname]"

Set a name that is identifiable for credit when reviewing version history.

git config --global user.email "[valid-email]"

Set an email address that will be associated with each history marker.

git config --global color.ui auto

Set automatic command line coloring for Git for easy reviewing.

SETUP & INIT

Configuring user information, initializing and cloning repositories

git init

Initialize an existing directory as a Git repository.

git clone [url]

Retrieve an entire repository from a hosted location via URL.

STAGE & SNAPSHOT

Working with snapshots and the Git staging area

git status

Show modified files in the working directory, staged for your next commit.

git add [file]

Add a file as it looks now to your next commit (stage).

git reset [file]

Unstage a file while retaining the changes in the working directory.

git diff

Diff of what is changed but not staged.

git diff --staged

Diff of what is staged but not yet committed.

git commit -m "[descriptive message]"

Commit your staged content as a new commit snapshot.

BRANCH & MERGE

Isolating work in branches, changing context, and integrating changes

git branch

List your branches. A * will appear next to the currently active branch.

git branch [branch-name]

Create a new branch at the current commit.

git checkout [branch-name]

Switch to another branch and check it out into your working directory.

git merge [branch]

Merge the specified branch’s history into the current one.

git log

Show all commits in the current branch’s history.

SHARE & UPDATE

Retrieving updates from another repository and updating local repos

git remote add [alias] [url]

Add a git URL as an alias.

git fetch [alias]

Fetch down all the branches from that Git remote.

git merge [alias]/[branch]

Merge a remote branch into your current branch to bring it up to date.

git push [alias] [branch]

Transmit local branch commits to the remote repository branch.

git pull

Fetch and merge any commits from the tracking remote branch.

TRACKING PATH CHANGES

Versioning file removes and path changes

git rm [file]

Delete the file from the project and stage the removal for commit.

git mv [existing-path] [new-path]

Change an existing file path and stage the move.

git log --stat -M

Show all commit logs with an indication of any paths that moved.

TEMPORARY COMMITS

Temporarily store modified, tracked files in order to change branches

git stash

Save modified and staged changes.

git stash list

List stack-order of stashed file changes.

git stash pop

Write working from the top of stash stack.

git stash drop

Discard the changes from the top of stash stack.

REWRITE HISTORY

Rewriting branches, updating commits, and clearing history

git rebase [branch]

Apply any commits of the current branch ahead of the specified one.

git reset --hard [commit]

Clear staging area, rewrite working tree from the specified commit.

INSPECT & COMPARE

Examining logs, diffs, and object information

git log

Show the commit history for the currently active branch.

git log branchB..branchA

Show the commits on branchA that are not on branchB.

git log --follow [file]

Show the commits that changed the file, even across renames.

git diff branchB...branchA

Show the diff of what is in branchA that is not in branchB.

git show [SHA]

Show any object in Git in human-readable format.

IGNORING PATTERNS

Preventing unintentional staging or committing of files

git config --global core.excludesfile [file]

Set a system-wide ignore pattern for all local repositories.

Create a .gitignore file with patterns like:

logs/
*.notes
pattern*/

This file will prevent unintentional staging or committing of files that match these patterns.

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