In my last post, we took a look at the data model underpinning Git. Understanding that all of Git’s many commands (and there are many) are just an interface for manipulating that data model can help us to understand why Git works the way it does.

Remember, an ugly interface has to be memorized, but a beautiful design can be understood.

Git Incantations

Learning a handful of commands to use like magic incantations is a short-term solution at best, and a dangerous habit at worst.

But maybe you just need a quick solution, or maybe you like to live dangerously. Who am I to judge?

I’m still learning Git, myself. So if you’ve come here in search of the most esoteric, most arcane, most impressive Git one-liners, you may be disappointed with my current spellbook.

Basics

These are the cantrips, the small magics that all Git acolytes will learn.

git help <command>: get help for a git command
git init: creates a new git repo, with data stored in the .git directory
git status: tells you what’s going on
git add <filename>: adds files to staging area
git commit: creates a new commit

Public Service Announcement:
Write good commit messages!
Seriously, write good commit messages!
git log: shows a flattened log of history
git log --all --decorate --oneline --graph: (a.k.a. log-a-dog) visualizes history as a DAG
git diff <filename>: show changes you made relative to the staging area
git diff <revision> <filename>: shows differences in a file between snapshots
git checkout <revision>: updates HEAD and current branch

Remotes

Managing your local file history is great, but the ability to distribute your version control remotely imparts extra power.

git remote: list remotes
git remote add <name> <url>: add a remote
git push <remote> <local branch>:<remote branch>: send objects to remote, and update remote reference
git branch --set-upstream-to=<remote>/<remote branch>: set up correspondence between local and remote branch
git fetch: retrieve objects/references from a remote
git pull: effectively: git fetch; git merge
git clone: download repository from remote

Undo

Git documentation has this chicken and egg problem where you can’t search for how to get yourself out of a mess, unless you already know the name of the thing you need to know about in order to fix your problem.
– Katie Sylor-Miller

These are for simple fixes. If you’ve messed up harder, you’re in good company. Check out Oh Shit, Git!?! for some commands to recover from common Git mistakes.

git commit --amend: edit a commit’s contents/message
git reset HEAD <file>: unstage a file
git checkout -- <file>: discard changes

More Advanced Git

git config: Git is highly customizable
git clone --depth=1: shallow clone, without entire version history
git add -p: interactive staging
git rebase -i: interactive rebasing
git blame: show who last edited which line
git stash: temporarily remove modifications to working directory
git bisect: binary search history (e.g. for regressions)
.gitignore: specify files to ignore intentionally

Resources

Here’s my collection of extra reading and tangentially-related topic links.

Augmentations

GUIs: try one of the GUI Clients recommended by the Git community.

Integration: bring your Git into your editor with extensions! The VSCode Marketplace has many to choose from. Tim Pope’s fugitive.vim is the premier Git plugin for Vim.

Workflows: There are many different ways to use Git for your project. The general rule is to follow the flow of your team or project. If you’re trying to decide which model works best for your team, consider these options:

Git Incantations

Addison Hernandez

Git Incantations

Basics

Remotes

Undo

More Advanced Git

Resources

Augmentations

Links

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