Git Commands Cheat Sheet – (The Commands You Need to Know)
Git Commands Cheat Sheet – (The Commands You Need to Know). The most frequently used commands for Git projects are listed on the Git commands cheat sheet, which is a useful resource for developers; therefore, every developer needs to learn this crucial skill at some point. You must be familiar with Git commands to take advantage of this popular version control system’s (VCS) full capability.
These powerful commands save you time and effort as well as revert mistakes. However, some commands are easily forgotten or unknown to junior developers. So this tutorial aids in providing a comprehensive recap of the Git commands you might need in your everyday developer life.
Let’s start with Git Commands Cheat Sheet – (The Commands You Need to Know).
What is Git?
Firstly, open source projects frequently use the distributed version control system (VCS), Git, to track code changes. Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, founded it in 2005. The program enables non linear project development and can successfully handle massive volumes of data by storing it on the local server.
Widely used by web and application developers to facilitate development operations. Each change comes with a version number, which you revert without disrupting the delivery process. Hence, Git simplifies collaboration. The work of different team members can coexist on the same project and in the same code without interference. It also fosters team communication and lets people view code modifications at each stage of program development.
Additionally, each team member can maintain a complete local backup of the repositories they are working on. They can then securely save the repository in a single location with the help of an external server like BitBucket, GitHub, or GitLab. This way, everyone clearly understands all the modifications done by the entire team, and various team members can also copy it locally.
However, you may also say that Git is a command line application that stores data more effectively and offers higher integrity than other version control systems. Git is also the project management tool for most developers, including large businesses and individuals.
Features of Git
- All of the current operating systems in use are compatible with Git. You can also access the repositories of other Version Control Systems, such as SVN, through Git. These SVNs generate remote repositories that Git may access directly. As a result, those not previously using Git can also do so without copying their files from repositories of other VCS into Git-VCS.
- Git has access to the central repository of other VCSs as well. As a result, a project utilizing Git-SVN can be done using the central repository. Users also can access Git repositories using their pre-existing IDE plugins and CVS clients thanks to the CVS server emulator that Git offers.
- With the help of Git’s distribution system, users can work on a project from anywhere globally. A distributed system’s central repository is accessible to numerous remote users through a version control system. Git is also among the most well-liked version control programs in use today.
- Users of Git operate on a line apart from the main project files. These routes are referred to as branches. Git’s branches allow for project modification without affecting the original version. You will always find a version’s production ready code in the main branch. Any new feature is tried as well as improved on the branches before merging with the main branch. A few simple Git commands assist you to branch and merge your code.
Git Benefits
- Git tracks each collaborator’s contributions to the local copy of the developer. Every time a push operation is carried out, a log file is kept and pushed to the central repository. Therefore, if a problem develops, the developer can quickly track it down and solve it.
- Git is offered free because it is made accessible under the General Public’s License (GPL). Git makes a local copy of the central repository; as a result, all developer actions are carried out locally before being pushed to the central repository.
- Git handles huge projects effectively because it is extremely quick and scalable compared to other version control systems. A local repository can fetch data 100 times faster than a remote server.
- Git is around ten times faster than competing VCS technologies, according to a test done by Mozilla, by order of magnitude. This is because Git is written in the C language, which, in contrast to other languages, is highly similar to machine code and speeds up processing.
So what are the Git Commands Cheat Sheet. Let’s explore.
Git Commands’ Cheats You Should Know
1. Git Configuration Command
You can change the author’s name, email address, alias, default text editor, and open a global configuration file using this command. The following command is acceptable:
- git config –global user.name “[your_name]”
- git config –global user.email “[email_address]”
- git config –global alias.[alias_name] [git_command]
- git config –system core.editor [text_editor]
- git config –global –edit
2. Creating Git Repository
The first step is initializing a new Git repository locally in your root. You can do so with the command: “git init.” Then, you may link the locally created repository to the platform by setting up a remote repository on GitHub. When you’re done, link the locally created repository to the origin of the remote repository. Run this command to create the remote repository:
git remote add origin (https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPOSITORY)
Push the main branch to the GitHub remote repository to finish the process:
git push -u REMOTE-NAME BRANCH-NAME
3. Creating Git Branch
Git branches are crucial to developers because they let them work concurrently on the same project. You may create, list, as well as delete branches with the Git branch command. And you can shield the code from interacting with other codes by using branches.
You can create the branch locally by this command;
“git branch ”
When the branch is ready, use this command to push it to the remote repository:
”git push -u <remote> <branch-name>”
You can view branch details by using the command shown below:
“git branch” or “git branch –list”
To remove the branch, use the following command:
git branch -d <branch-name>
4. Checking Git Status
To obtain all available information about the Git branch, use the status command “git status.” You may verify whether your current branch has been updated with all pertinent information, whether any pending commits, pushes, or pulls exist, and whether it contains any unstaged, staged, or untracked files.
5. Git Commit Command
You must use the commit command to make changes permanent when developing code for any project. Using this command, you also create a checkpoint from which you can roll back if necessary. You can locally save the code modifications with this command;
git commit -m “commit message”
6. Git Add Command
There is a chance that the modifications you make to any file, whether you are adding it, removing it, or changing it, won’t be reflected in the subsequent commit. Therefore, you can use the command “git add file>” to include the file modifications in the next commit.
Run the command “git add -A” if you wish to add every modification at once. The add command won’t alter the repository, and no changes will be stored until you execute the commit command.
7. Git Push Command
You can update the remote server with the committed modifications. With this command, you can only push the committed modifications;
git push <remote> <branch-name>
You must use the following command to push any newly generated branches to the remote repository:
git push –set-upstream <remote> <name-of-your-branch>
or
git push -u origin <branch_name>
8. Git Revert Command
You can use this command if you want to undo any modifications made locally or remotely. But watch out that you don’t accidentally delete something significant. Using “git log —oneline,” you can look up the hash code and commit history. You can then undo the commit identified by the specific hash code.
You will see a “Revert test” screen after running the command (git revert 3321844); hit shift+q to close the screen. A new commit will be made without truncating the previously mentioned one with the hash code. This command will remain unaffected by both the new revert commits and your previous ones.
9. Git Clone Command
To better understand the code, you can use this command to make a copy of an existing project on your system. Then, using the merge command, you can modify the code to include new features and functions.
You can use this command to make a copy:
git clone (https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPOSITORY)
10. Git Stash Command
Using the stash command will allow you to fix the checkout error. But if you do not wish to commit the changes, it will momentarily save the work in the current branch. You can use the following command: git stash. If you want to recover the stashed changes, you can navigate to where you stashed them and then run this command — git stash pop, to pop them.
11. Git Archives Command
This command combines many files into one, and archives of commits, branches, and trees are created. Extracting the files will allow you to get the contents back when needed.
- git archive HEAD — This command generates an archive from the repository’s HEAD ref.
- git archive output = ‘.tar’ — This command saves the archived files to the specified destination.
12. Git cat-file
This command displays content or size/type information of repository objects.
- git cat-file -t <object> — displays the type of object.
- git cat-file -s <object> — shows the size of the object.
- git cat-saw a aa file <object> — shows object content.
- git cat-file <type> <object> — shows the raw contents of an object.
- git cat-file -e <object> — shows the error on stderr if the object has an invalid format or does not exist.
- git cat-file -p <object> — print the type of object in a pretty manner.
13. Git Clean Command
If you haven’t committed your files and directories, you can easily delete them with the git clean command. You can use this command to delete unnecessary files and directories from the IDE:
- git clean -f: For removing untracked files.
- git clean -fd: For removing untracked directories.
- git clean -n: To show untracked files which will be removed when you run git clean
14. Git Delete-Local-Repository Command
You can always remove any unwanted branch from your local repository. To remove the branch, issue the following command: git branch -d BRANCH-NAME. To forcefully delete a local branch, use this command:
git branch -D BRANCH-NAME
15. Git Rename Remote Branch Command
After you rename the branch name locally, you need to update the branch name of the corresponding branch on the remote repository using the below command. This command will allow you to delete the old branch and create a new one with the same code base.
git push origin: OLD-BRANCH-NAME NEW-BRANCH-NAME
Git Commands Cheat Sheet - (The Commands You Need to Know) Conclusion
Using Git is a good way to track your project’s history. It is the best version control system as it stores data more effectively and offers higher integrity than other version control systems. Working with Git is also easy and comfortable, and you do not have to worry about learning complicated concepts.
Also, knowing its necessary command cheat sheet can dramatically improve your productivity in Git. We have mentioned various Git commands developers frequently use and that you equally need to know. So after reading this article, you can run basic Git commands and easily track down the code changes on your own.
