Git CommandsExplained

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Command↕	What it does↕	Example↕
Setup & config
⤢git config	Set your name, email, or editor once for every repo.	git config --global user.name "Ada"
⤢git config --global alias	Define a shortcut name for a command you type often.	git config --global alias.co checkout
⤢git init	Create a new repository in the current folder.	git init
⤢git clone	Copy a remote repository onto your machine.	git clone git@github.com:org/repo.git
⤢git clone --depth	Copy only the newest commits of a single branch.	git clone --depth 1 --single-branch git@github.com:org/repo.git
Snapshot basics
⤢git status	Show what is staged, modified, and untracked.	git status -sb
⤢git add	Stage changes so they enter the next commit.	git add src/app.ts
⤢git add -p	Review changes hunk by hunk and stage only the ones you accept.	git add -p src/app.ts
⤢git add -u	Stage changes to every tracked file without adding new files.	git add -u
⤢git commit	Record the staged changes as a new commit.	git commit -m "fix: null check"
⤢git commit --amend	Replace the last commit with a corrected one.	git commit --amend -m "fix: handle empty input"
⤢git diff	Show unstaged changes, or staged changes with --staged.	git diff --staged
⤢git diff HEAD	Show every change since the last commit, staged or not.	git diff HEAD
Branching & merging
⤢git branch	List, create, or delete branches.	git branch feature-x
⤢git branch -d	Delete a merged branch (-D forces it, -a lists every branch).	git branch -d feature-x
⤢git switch	Switch branches (the modern replacement for checkout).	git switch feature-x
⤢git switch -c	Create a new branch and switch to it in one step.	git switch -c feature-x
⤢git checkout	Switch branches or restore files (the older, broader command).	git checkout feature-x
⤢git merge	Bring another branch's changes into the current branch.	git merge feature-x
⤢git merge --abort	Cancel a conflicted merge and return the branch to its prior state.	git merge --abort
⤢git rebase	Replay the current branch's commits on top of another branch.	git rebase main
⤢git rebase -i	Squash, reorder, or edit commits while replaying them.	git rebase -i main
⤢git cherry-pick	Copy a single commit from another branch onto this one.	git cherry-pick a1b2c3d
⤢git tag	Mark a commit with a readable label such as a version.	git tag -a v1.2.0
⤢git worktree	Check out another branch in a separate folder at the same time.	git worktree add ../repo-feature feature-x
Inspecting history
⤢git log	Walk the commit history.	git log --oneline --graph --decorate
⤢git log --all	Walk history from every branch, not just the current one.	git log --oneline --graph --all
⤢git show	Show the full diff and message of one commit.	git show HEAD
⤢git blame	Show who last changed each line of a file.	git blame src/app.ts
⤢git reflog	Show every commit HEAD has pointed to, including discarded ones.	git reflog
⤢git bisect	Search history by halves to find the commit that broke something.	git bisect start
⤢git shortlog	Summarize commits by author.	git shortlog -sn
⤢git describe	Name the current commit by counting from the nearest tag.	git describe --tags
Remote collaboration
⤢git remote	List or add remote repositories.	git remote add origin <url>
⤢git remote -v	List remotes with their fetch and push URLs.	git remote -v
⤢git fetch	Download remote changes without changing your branches.	git fetch origin
⤢git fetch --prune	Download remote changes and drop refs to deleted remote branches.	git fetch --prune
⤢git pull	Fetch and merge the current branch's remote changes.	git pull --rebase
⤢git push	Send local commits to the remote.	git push -u origin feature-x
⤢git push --force-with-lease	Overwrite the remote branch, but only if nobody pushed first.	git push --force-with-lease origin feature-x
Undoing changes
⤢git restore	Discard working-tree changes, or unstage them.	git restore src/app.ts
⤢git restore --staged	Unstage a file and keep its edits in the working tree.	git restore --staged src/app.ts
⤢git reset	Move the current branch tip and optionally the index.	git reset --hard HEAD~1
⤢git revert	Add a new commit that undoes an earlier one (safe to share).	git revert HEAD
⤢git clean	Delete untracked files and folders.	git clean -fd
Stashing
⤢git stash	Save uncommitted work and reset the working tree.	git stash -u
⤢git stash list	Show every stash you have saved.	git stash list
⤢git stash apply	Reapply a stash and keep it stored.	git stash apply stash@{1}
⤢git stash drop	Delete a stash you no longer need.	git stash drop stash@{1}
⤢git stash pop	Reapply the most recent stash and drop it.	git stash pop
Files & submodules
⤢git mv	Move or rename a file and stage the change.	git mv old.ts src/new.ts
⤢git rm	Delete a file and stage the deletion.	git rm src/old.ts
⤢git submodule	Track another repository as a folder inside this one.	git submodule add git@github.com:org/lib.git lib
⤢git sparse-checkout	Check out only the folders you name from a large repository.	git sparse-checkout set src docs
⤢git archive	Export a commit's tree as a tar or zip file.	git archive -o repo.zip HEAD