Understanding Git Basics

Before diving into commands, let's clarify some key Git concepts:

• Repository: A directory that contains all the files for a project and their revision history.
• Working Directory: The directory where you edit files.
• Staging Area: A place to temporarily store changes before committing.
• Commit: A snapshot of your project at a specific point in time.
• Branch: An independent line of development.
• Remote: A copy of your repository on a server (e.g., GitHub, GitLab).

Essential Git Commands

Initializing a Repository

• git init: Creates an empty Git repository in the current directory.

Working with Files

• git status: Shows the state of the working directory and staging area.
• git add <file>: Adds a file to the staging area.
• git add .: Adds all changed files to the staging area.
• git commit -m "message": Commits the staged changes with a descriptive message.
• git diff <file>: Shows the difference between the working directory and the staging area for a specific file.
• git diff --staged: Shows the difference between the staging area and the last commit.

Inspecting Commit History

• git log: Shows the commit history.
• git log --oneline: Shows the commit history in a single line.
• git show <commit>: Shows details of a specific commit.

Working with Branches

• • git branch: Lists all local branches.

• • git branch <branch-name>: Creates a new branch.

• • git checkout <branch-name>: Switches to a different branch.

• git merge <branch-name>: Merges changes from one branch into another.
• git branch -d <branch-name>: Deletes a branch.

Working with Remote Repositories

• git remote add <alias> <url>: Adds a remote repository.
• git fetch <remote>: Downloads new data from a remote repository.
• git pull <remote> <branch>: Fetches and merges changes from a remote branch.
• git push <remote> <branch>: Pushes changes to a remote branch.

Other Useful Commands

• git reset --hard HEAD: Unstages all changes.
• git revert <commit>: Reverses the changes of a specific commit.
• git stash: Saves the working directory's state temporarily.
• git stash pop: Restores the most recently stashed changes.

Example Workflow

1. Create a new repository: git init
2. Make changes to files: Edit files in your working directory.
3. Stage changes: git add <file> or git add .
4. Commit changes: git commit -m "Descriptive message"
5. Create a new branch for a feature: git branch feature
6. Switch to the new branch: git checkout feature
7. Make changes and commit: Repeat steps 2-4.
8. Merge changes back to main branch: git checkout main and git merge feature
9. Push changes to remote repository: git push origin main

Additional Tips

• Use descriptive commit messages.
• Commit frequently.
• Create branches for new features.
• Review changes before merging.
• Back up your repository regularly.

Remember: This is just a basic overview. Git is a powerful tool with many more features and options. For more in-depth information and advanced usage, refer to the official Git documentation or online tutorials.

Would you like to focus on a specific area or learn about more advanced Git commands?