Command Reference

Git Basics

These are the core Git commands you will use when starting a project, checking changes, creating commits, and viewing repository history.

git init

git status

git add

git commit

git diff

git diff –staged

git log

Basic workflow

git status
git add .
git diff --staged
git commit -m "Describe the change"
git log --oneline

Branch Commands

These commands are used to create, inspect, switch, and remove Git branches.

git branch

git branch -M

git switch

Create and switch to a branch

Delete a local branch

Force-delete a local branch

Local branch workflow

git branch
git switch main
git switch -c feature/menu
git branch
git switch main

Understand the branch commands

What comes next?

Once you understand local branch commands, the next group of commands deals with connecting your local repository to a remote repository such as GitHub.

Remote Commands

Remote commands are used to connect your local Git repository with a remote repository such as GitHub and synchronize branches and commits.

git remote -v

git remote add

git remote remove

git push

Push a new branch

git pull

git fetch

Connect a local repository to GitHub

git remote add origin https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/project.git
git remote -v

Push the main branch

git push -u origin main

Push a feature branch

git push -u origin feature/menu

Update your local main branch

git switch main
git pull

What comes next?

The next group covers commands for creating, inspecting, and managing commits.

Commit Commands

Commit commands are used to create, inspect, modify, or safely undo changes recorded in Git history.

git commit -m “message”

Creates a new commit from the changes currently staged in the staging area.

git add .
git commit -m "Add coffee menu"

The commit message should briefly describe what changed.

git commit –amend

Updates the most recent commit instead of creating another commit.

git add .
git commit --amend -m "Add coffee menu and pricing"

git show

Displays information about a commit, including the commit message and the changes introduced by that commit.

git show

By default, Git shows the most recent commit. You can also specify a particular commit.

git show a1b2c3d

git revert <commit>

Creates a new commit that reverses the changes introduced by an earlier commit.

git revert a1b2c3d

This is useful when a change has already been committed or pushed and you want to undo its effect without deleting the existing commit from history.

Typical Commit Workflow

git status
git diff
git add .
git diff --staged
git commit -m "Describe the change"
git log --oneline

This workflow lets you inspect your changes before staging them, review what is staged, create the commit, and then confirm the commit in the project history.

Quick Reference

History Commands

History commands help you inspect the commits that have been created in a Git repository and understand how the project has changed over time.

git log

Displays the commit history of the current branch.

git log

The detailed output includes information such as the commit identifier, author, date, and commit message.

git log –oneline

Displays a compact version of the commit history. This is often easier to read when you want to quickly find a commit.

git log –oneline

Example:

a1b2c3d Add coffee menu
8f7e6d5 Update homepage
4c3b2a1 Initial project

The short value at the beginning of each line is the abbreviated commit identifier.

git log –oneline –graph

Displays a compact commit history together with a simple graph showing branch structure.

git log –oneline –graph

This becomes especially useful when a project contains multiple branches.

git log –oneline –all

Shows commits from all local branches instead of only the currently checked-out branch.

git log –oneline –all

git log –oneline –graph –all

Combines the previous options to provide a compact view of commits and branch history.

git log –oneline –graph –all

This is particularly useful when learning how feature branches were created, developed, and merged.

Finding a Commit

Once you find the commit you are interested in, you can use its commit identifier with commands such as git show or git revert.

git log --oneline

git show a1b2c3d

git revert a1b2c3d

Quick Reference

Recovery Commands

Recovery commands help you safely recover from common mistakes while working with Git.

git restore <file>

Discards local changes in a file that have not been staged.

git restore index.html

git restore –staged <file>

Removes a file from the staging area without removing the changes from your working directory.

git restore –staged index.html

This is useful when you accidentally stage a file and want to make changes before committing.

git reset

Git reset can move the current branch to another commit and can also change what is staged.

Because different reset modes have different effects, beginners should use it carefully.

git reset HEAD~1

This moves the current branch back by one commit while keeping the changes from that commit in the working directory.

git revert <commit>

If a commit has already been shared or pushed, reverting it is often a safer way to undo its effect.

git revert a1b2c3d

Git creates a new commit that reverses the changes made by the selected commit.

Common Recovery Situations

Safe Recovery Habit

git status
git diff
git log --oneline

Before using a recovery command, first inspect the current repository state, review your changes, and check the recent commit history. This helps you choose the appropriate recovery method instead of guessing.

Quick Reference