Git

A quick, task-oriented Git reference. Pair this with the in-depth guide for concepts and best practices. TL;DR Working tree → git add → Staging area → git commit → Local repo → git push → Remote. Most common daily commands: status, add, commit, push, pull, checkout, merge. Undo staged changes: git restore --staged <file>. Undo last commit (keep changes): git reset HEAD~1. For concepts and workflows, read the full Git guide. Minimal Mental Model # graph LR WD[Working Dir] -- add --> ST[Staging] ST -- commit --> REPO[Local Repo] REPO -- push --> ORI[Origin] ORI -- fetch/pull --> REPO Setup # git --version git config --global user.name "Your Name" git config --global user.email "you@example.com" git config --global init.defaultBranch main Create or Clone # git init git clone <url> Status and Diffs # git status git diff # unstaged git diff --staged # staged vs HEAD Stage and Commit # git add <path> git add -p # interactive hunks git commit -m "feat: message" git commit --amend # edit last commit Branching # git branch git switch -c feature/x git switch main git branch -d feature/x Sync with Remote # git remote -v git fetch git pull # merge git pull --rebase # rebase git push -u origin my-branch Merge vs Rebase # git switch my-branch && git merge main git switch my-branch && git rebase main Resolve Conflicts # git status # edit files, remove markers git add <file> git commit # after merge git rebase --continue # during rebase Stash Work # git stash push -m "wip" git stash list git stash pop Undo Safely # git restore --staged <file> # unstage git restore <file> # discard local edits git revert <sha> # new commit to undo git reset --soft HEAD~1 # keep changes, drop last commit git reflog # find lost commits Tags and Releases # git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "msg" git push --tags Ignore and Clean # echo "node_modules/" >> .gitignore git clean -fdx # dangerous: removes untracked files Authentication (Quick) # # HTTPS + PAT git clone https://github.com/owner/repo.git # SSH ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "you@example.com" ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 git clone git@github.com:owner/repo.git Conventional Commits (Optional) # feat(auth): add oauth login fix(api): handle null pointer in user service chore(ci): update node to 20 Common One-Liners # # See last commit summary git log -1 --stat # Interactive rebase last 5 commits git rebase -i HEAD~5 # Squash branch onto main git switch my-branch && git rebase -i main Quick PR Flow (GitHub) # git switch -c feat/x # edit, add, commit git push -u origin feat/x # open PR on GitHub See also: the full guide “The Definitive Guide to Version Control with Git and GitHub”.

Version control is the foundation of reliable software delivery. This guide teaches Git from first principles, then layers in practical GitHub workflows used by high-performing teams. You’ll learn the mental models, the everyday commands, and the advanced tools to collaborate confidently without fear of breaking anything.