Learning Git and Github

Git Workflow

The typical Git workflow involves three main areas:

1. Local (Working Directory)

• This is where your files live on your local machine. It's the directory you're working in, where you make changes to your code, documents, etc.
• Add, edit, or delete files.

2. Staging Area

• A temporary area where Git records your changes before you commit them (preview of next commit).
• You "stage" your changes using git add, which tells Git to include those changes in the next commit.

3. Repository

• The permanent store of your project. It's where all the committed changes are stored, tracked, and managed.
• You commit your changes (with git commit), which moves them from the staging area to the repository.

Commands

Basic Commands

git status

• Show current changes.
• Use -s for compact output.

git add

• Stage files (e.g., git add . to stage all changes).
• Be cautious with . as it stages everything recursively.

git commit -m "message"

• Commit staged changes with a message.
• Use git commit -am "message" to skip staging for modified files.

git rm <file>

• Remove file from working directory and staging.
• Use --cached to only remove it from Git, not locally.

git mv <source> <destination>

• Rename or move a file.

git restore --staged <file>

• Unstage a file.
• --source=HEAD~# restores from a specific commit.

git clean -f

• Delete untracked files or directories.

git ls-files

• List all tracked files (staged and committed).

git diff

• Show changes between working directory and staging.
• Use --staged to see changes between staging and last commit.

git difftool

• Use an external diff tool (after setup).

git log

• Show commit history.
• --oneline shows a summary per commit.

git show <hash>

• Show details of a specific commit.
• Use HEAD~# to show commits prior to the latest.

Branching Commands

git branch <name>

• Create a new branch.
• Use -m <old> <new> to rename, and -d <branch> to delete.

git checkout <branch>

• Switch to another branch.
• Use -b <branch> to create and switch, and --track <remote>/<branch> to track a remote branch.

git switch <branch>

• Preferred method to switch branches (since Git 2.23).
• -c <branch> to create and switch, --track to track remote.

git push

• Upload commits to remote.
• -u origin <branch> to set up tracking.
• Delete remote branch with: git push origin --delete <branch>.

git pull

• Fetch and merge remote changes into the current branch.

git merge <branch>

• Merge another branch into your current branch.

git rebase <branch>

• Reapply your commits on top of another branch for cleaner history (linear).