The essential Git commands

Why you should learn Git?

Git is the most useful version control system. Git tracks the changes you make to files and collaboration easier and allows multiple people to work on the same files at the same time.

For a new or experienced people using Git is full potential and you need to know Git commands. Here you will learn the essential Git commands that will take you from one level to another.

If you are a new developer, start to learn here Basic Git commands to more Advanced Git commands step by step.

In this section, you will learn the essential foundation Git commands.

git config

When you are using Git first-time, you need to customize your Git environment. This command will set up your user name and email address. This is important because every Git commit use this information.

Usage
$ git config --global user.name “Your name”
$ git config --global user.email “Your email”

git version

It’s just to check what Git version you are using.

Usage
$ git version

git init

It creates an empty Git repository for the first command to start a new project in Git. And then you can store your source code inside this repository.

Usage
$ git init

git clone

The git clone command will use when you need to make a copy of an existing Git repository.

Usage
$ git clone <your project URL>

git add

The git add command will add a new file and modified files,  an changes in the working directory to the staging area.

$ git add <your_file_name> (it will add a single file to your staging area)
$ git add * ( it will add all the modified and new files to the staging area)

git commit

This Git commit will add your changes to the local repository.

Here is the usage of the Git commit command.
$ git commit  “your useful commit message”

git status

The git status command displays the state of the working directory and the stating area. It lets you see which changes have been staged, which haven’t, and which files aren’t being tracked by Git.

Usage
$ git status

git branch

The Git branch command lets you to manage your branches effectively like create, list, rename, switch and delete branches.

Usage	
To list all branches
$ git branch

To create a new branch
$ git branch <branch_name>

To delete a branch
$ git branch –d <branch_name>

git checkout

The Git checkout command lets you switch between branches.

Usage
$ git checkout <branch_name>

You can checkout and create branch at the same time with a single command, like that

$ git checkout –b 

git remote

Remote repositories are versions of your project that are hosted on the Internet or network somewhere. Collaborating with others involves managing these remote repositories and pushing and pulling data to and from them when you need to share work.

Usage
$ git remote add <shortname> <url>

git push

With the help of the git remote command the git push command is used to upload local repository content to a remote repository. Pushing is how you transfer commits from your local repository to a remote repo.

Usage	
$ git push -u <short_name> <your_branch_name>

git fetch

The git fetch command downloads commits, files, and refs from a remote repository into your local repo. Git fetch is a safer alternative because it pulls in all the commits from your remote but doesn’t make any changes to your local files.

Usage 
$ git fetch

git pull

The Git pull command downloads the content and immediately updates your local repository with the latest content.

Usage 
$ git pull <remote_url>

git stash

This Git command temporarily stores your modified files. You can work in stashed with the following Git command. 

Usage 
$ git stash 
you need a apply a stash to a branch, simply use apply 
$ git stash apply

git log

This git log command lets you to review and read a history of everything that happens to a repository.  Generally, the git log is a record of commits.

Usage 
$ git log

git rm

This git rm command lets you to remove files from both the staging index and the working directory.

Usage
$ git rm <your_file_name>

git merge

This git merge command merge two branches you were working on.

Usage
$ git merge <branch_name>

git diff

Diff command is used in git to track the difference between the changes made on a file.

Usage
to compare the working directory with the local repo:
$ git diff HEAD <filename>
to compare two branches
$ git diff <source branch> <target branch>

git mv

This git mv command lets you to move files or directories from one place to another . It supports moving single files, multiple files and directories. 

Usage
$ git mv <old-file-name> <new-file-name>

By Ami