Git Command Cheat Sheet: A Handy Guide

Set a name that is easy to recognize for credit when reviewing version history.

git config --global user.name “[firstname lastname]”

set an email address that will be linked to each history entry

git config --global user.email “[valid-email]”

set automatic command line coloring for Git for easy reviewing

git config --global color.ui auto

Initialize an existing directory as a Git repository

git init

Retrieve an entire repository from a hosted location via URL

git clone [url]

Show modified files in working directory, staged for your next commit

git status

Add a file as it looks now to your next commit (stage)

git add [file]

Unstage a file while retaining the changes in working directory

git reset [file]

Diff of what is changed but not staged

git diff

Diff of what is staged but not yet committed

git diff --staged

Commit your staged content as a new commit snapshot

git commit -m “[descriptive message]”

List your branches. A * will appear next to the currently active branch.

git branch

Create a new branch at the current commit.

git branch [branch-name]

Switch to another branch and check it out into your working directory.

git checkout

Merge the specified branch’s history into the current one.

git merge [branch]

Show all commits in the current branch’s history.

git log

Show the commit history for the currently active branch

git log

Show the commits on branchA that are not on branchB

git log branchB..branchA

Show the commits that changed file, even across renames

git log --follow [file]

Show the diff of what is in branchA that is not in branchB

git diff branchB...branchA

Show any object in Git in human-readable format

git show [SHA]

Add a git URL as an alias

git remote add [alias] [url]

Fetch down all the branches from that Git remote

git fetch [alias]

Merge a remote branch into your current branch to bring it up to date

git merge [alias]/[branch]

Transmit local branch commits to the remote repository branch

git push [alias] [branch]

Fetch and merge any commits from the tracking remote branch

git pull

Delete the file from project and stage the removal for commit.

git rm [file]

Change an existing file path and stage the move.

git mv [existing-path] [new-path]

Show all commit logs with indication of any paths that moved.

git log --stat -M

Apply any commits of current branch ahead of specified one

git rebase [branch]

Clear staging area, rewrite working tree from specified commit

git reset --hard [commit]

Save a file with desired patterns as .gitignore with either direct string matches or wildcard globs.

logs/ .notes pattern/

System wide ignore pattern for all local repositories.

git config --global core.excludesfile [file]

Save modified and staged changes.

git stash

List stack-order of stashed file changes.

git stash list

Write working from top of stash stack

git stash pop

Discard the changes from top of stash stack

git stash drop