What is Git?
An open-source version control system for tracking modifications in source code and files.
As a software developer, git has been part and parcel of my daily development workflow, allowing me to coordinate my code changes with other developers with ease, without worrying that one may overwrite or break the codebase.
Below are some basic terminology in git.
Git Terms
git Typed in the command line to run git commands
repo Shortform for repository
local A copy of the repository in a development machine
remote/origin The central repository hosted in the cloud/server
clone Create a copy of the repository, in your local machine
fork Create a copy of the original repository in our Github account (Used in Github)
.gitignore Specify which filenames to be excluded from tracking
commit A snapshot in the timeline of a git repository, identified by a descriptive message and an SHA id
stage List of files and code changes that are ready to be committed
push Apply commits from local to remote
pull Apply latest commits from remote to local
stash Temporary changes made to a working repository
HEAD Reference to the most recent commit in the current branch
reset Undo changes made by rolling back to previous commits
branch An independent line of development A lightweight movable pointer to a specific commit
master Usually denotes the main branch
merge Combine the changes of two or more branches into a single branch
rebase Reapply the changes made on a single branch on top of changes made from another branch
Pull request An event created by a contributor to discuss and merge new code changes to the main branch. Github != Git
Git is a version control software tool that is used in the command line.
Github is a web hosting service for managing git repositories in the cloud.
For most cases, users will use git to manage changes between repositories on their local machine and the remote ones in Github. Github is a web-hosting service that provides cloud-based storage and GUI for storing and managing the centralized repositories.
Glossary of Git Commands
Configuration
git config --global user.name `name` Set the name you want attached to your commits
git config --global user.email `email_address` Set the email you want attached to your commits
git config --global color.ui auto Set automatic command line coloring for easy reviewing of Git output
export GIT_SSL_NO_VERIFY=`boolean` Environment variable for running git commands on server without SSL certificates Initialisation/Setup
git init Initialize an existing directory as a Git repository
git clone `url` Clone a repository using a remote url Change Management
git status Show modified files in working directory, staged for your next commit
git add `file` Add a file to the stage before your next commit
git rm `file` Delete the file from project and stage the removal for commit
git diff Difference between what is changed but not staged
git diff \-\-staged Difference between what is staged but not yet commited
git commit -m `descriptive_message` Commit your staged content as a new commit snapshot
git push Apply your local branch commits to the remote repository branch
git pull Fetch and merge any commits from the tracking remote branch
git reset `file` Unstage a file while retaining the changes in working directory
git reset \-\-soft `commit` Rewrite working tree from specified commit Re-apply changes made to the staging area for that commit
git reset \-\-hard `commit` Rewrite working tree from specified commit Clears the staging area
git push origin -f `branch` Force push branch to set the remote HEAD at the current commit
git show `commit` Show one or more objects (blobs, trees, tags and commits)
git blame `filename` Show history of commits made on the specific file Branch Management
git branch List all your local branches. A \* will appear next to the currently active branch. Adding a -a flag lists all possible branches (local + remote)
git branch `branch` Create a new branch at the current commit
git fetch origin `branch` Fetch remote repository branch and create a local one
git checkout `branch` Switch to target branch
git merge `branch` Merge the specified branch\'s history into the current one
git rebase `branch` Apply any commits of current branch ahead of specified one
git branch -m `oldname` `newname` Rename branch from oldname to newname
git push origin --delete `oldname` or git push origin :`oldname` Delete old branch in remote
git push origin -u `newname` Push new local branch and set the remote branch (newname) to track the current local branch
git diff `branchB`...`branchA` Show the difference of what is in branchA that is not in branchB
git log Show all commits in the current branch\'s history Stash Management
git stash Save modified and staged changes
git stash list List stack-order of stashed file changes
git stash pop Write working from top of stash stack
git stash drop Discard the changes from top of stash stack Conclusion
The above list collates the many commands that I usually use in my day-to-day. This list is especially useful if you need remedies to common problematic scenarios (Eg. Accidentally pushing commits to master/dev branches: git reset; Trying to trace past commits for a specific file: git blame). Despite being around for almost 20 years, git still serves as a primary version control tool for many developers today. With most projects requiring multiple hands on deck and remote work being the new normal, it is hard for one to work on a project properly without it.