With different aspects of technology available today, Git Commands has various options available to satisfy your different software command and control requirements.
And like most tools, you need to know the benefits and drawbacks of your choices to make the most suitable decision for your requirements.
Working with Git on the command line works as one such tool which helps developers in many different ways.
Today there are hundreds of Git commands that are ready and available to use for one reason or any other. Git has several big clients that enable you to utilize Git without the command line.
Understanding what drives the client is performing in the background is advantageous in learning how Git works.
What Makes Git Commands a Reliable Choice?
SVN is defined as the most popular version control tool in recent years. But it can be slower to work with and less adaptable while working with huge numbers of branches.
Git was designed with the purpose to be lightweight, distributed VCS, and to ensure that developers are never constrained with a network connection or waiting around for code updates from co-workers.
Git suits the latest development mindset of making small, fast changes and performing them more often. Here, iteration is the key and Git provides the developer an easy-to-use map to show the progress of a project.
Git offers several other benefits, in addition to speed. Developers are not constrained by a network connection; changes can be performed offline, then shifted to a remote later.
Git further suits several workflows, allowing teams of different types to utilize the VCS in a way that satisfies them completely. Moreover, not unlike SVN, here switching between or joining branches is straightforward.
The most important thing that Git is capable of is that it can eliminate the fear of making changes. Git provides various options to make the changes from any commit to be “undone”.
This is important, especially for modern and young developers. Git’s multiple options for reverting changes and simple branching means that you can experiment with your code without worrying about any lasting consequences.
Now we will discuss Git commands under this article, here you will find the top 20 most used Git commands, what each one means, how to use them, along with a short description and an example for each.
Top 19 Git Commands with Examples
Git is a compelling tool that makes easier collaboration for developers. It is employed normally for coordinating the collaborative work among developers during software development.
1) Git Merge
Git merge is a powerful feature that enables you to merge one or more branches into your current branch.
This is helpful when developers work on the same code and need to integrate their changes before pushing them up into a branch. It further automatically generates a new commit if there are no conflicts.
Example: $ git merge <the name of branch>
2) Git Diff
Git diff command will generate a tar or zip file that comprises the contents of a single tree from your repository. Utilize git diff to explain all the differences between any two files or commits.
It can help identify the conflicts during merging or branching operations.
Example:$ git diff <the source branch><the target branch>
3) Git Branch
Git branch lists existing branches, including remote branches. You can utilize the git branch command to generate or remove a new branch from an existing one. If a branch name is provided, it will generate a new branch.
Example:$ git branch
4) Git Push
This Git command pushes all the modified local objects to the remote repository and advances its branches.
This command uploads all modifications made locally and sends them up for everyone else in the organization or team working on the same codebase.
Example:$ git push -u <name of variable><name of branch>
5) Git Commit
The Git command takes all of the changes written in the index, generates a new commit object pointing to it, and pushes them up to a remote repository.
It’s important to remember that you can’t simply type “git commit” by itself without any argument — it requires at least one parameter, which will either be HEAD or some other branch name.
Example:$ git verify-commit <commit>
6) Git Status
Git status is a powerful command that shows the status of files in the index versus the working directory.
It can also check the changes made in your local repository, showing you which files have been modified, added, or deleted.
Example:$ git status
7) Git Remote
Git remote displays all the remote versions of your repository. It establishes the connection between your local repository and a remote one.
If you are running it locally, then simply running Git remote is what is required otherwise you need to know the URL for where it lives.
Example:$ git remote add <name of variable><remote server URL>
8) Git Rm
Git rm command is to remove files from both the Git repository and the working directory. This will eliminate files from your working directory and your index, therefore they will not be tracked.
Example:$ git rm <the name of your file>
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9) Git Stash
Git stash command is used when you need to stop working on a given feature or section for now and come back later. It saves your changes but does not record them in the Git repository.
Example:$ git stash
10) Git Config
Git config sets the configuration values for your details. Using this command, you can specify an email address and username to be utilized by default whenever any new commits are produced.
Example:$ git config — global user.email “email address”
11) Git Rebase
Git rebase is needed if someone has pushed up new updates when you have been coding. It is used to update branches with new commits made elsewhere.
Example:$ Git rebase master.
12) Git Clone
Git clone copies your complete Git repository so that you can work on a copy without influencing the original one, which means no accidental overwrites or merge conflicts. It does exactly what it states — it clones.
Example:$ git clone <URL of your project>
13) Git Init
Git init is used to build an empty Git repository. It initializes a git repository and generates the initial .git directory in a new or previously existing project.
If there are other projects or folders in the same location, those will be cloned by default while running git init.
Example:$ git init<the name of your repository>
14) Git Checkout
The git checkout command is needed when you need to switch your local branch. The name of the current branch is provided as a parameter, followed by another one for which you need to set up.
Example:$ git checkout <the name of your branch>
15) Git Reset
This command resets your index and working directory to the state of your last commit. This is helpful if you need to make changes locally but want those new commits to go up on GitHub or somewhere else for others to see.
Example:$ git reset <file>
16) Git Tag
This Git command marks a particular commit with a simple, human-readable handle that never moves.
It marks essential milestones in the project, such as how old it is or when it was published. You can utilize tags to mark releases and to keep a track of your history.
Example:$ git tag <commitID>
17) Git Archive
Git archive command generates a zip or tar file that comprises the contents of a single tree from your repository.
To formulate archives from Git branches, you will use this command accompanied by one for which you need to generate the zip file — i.e. development or master.
Example:$ git archive –format=tar HEAD
18) Git Fetch
You can use Git fetch command as a shortcut when too many branches are cloned at once, making things complicated.
It accepts new commits from another branch in an existing Git repository and copies them onto yours by default.
Example:$ Git fetch
19) Git Add
This command will add file changes that are in your working directory to your index. It can be run with a single argument or multiple, depending on how much you need to change.
Example:$ git add <file>
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Conclusion
Git can be a surprisingly powerful tool in any web development project. If you are going to be using Git commands a lot then you need to understand how to utilize Git commands.
These 19 git commands defined above will empower you to go from developing a brand-new repository to joining it to the parent branch.
These popular Git commands are simple to use. If your team uses Git for version control then you will probably apply most of these commands on a regular basis.
One of the things you’ll have to constantly balance is updating your growth and progress in your project management tool.
The following things make Git attractive to developers:
- Speed
- Fewer constraints
- Intuitive branching
- Adaptable workflows
- Changes can be simply rolled back
- Beneficial for distributed teams
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
What is a git cheat sheet?
Git is a free and open-source distributed version control system that runs on your computer and is responsible for everything related to GitHub. For quick reference, this cheat sheet includes the most important and regularly used Git commands.
How do I use git commands?
To start using GitLab with Git, complete the following tasks:
Create and sign in to a GitLab account.
Open a terminal.
Install Git on your computer
Configure Git.
Choose a repository
What is the git push command?
The Push command refers to the process of copying content from a local repository to a distant repository. The act of sending commits from your local repository to a remote repository is known as pushing. Pushing has the potential to overwrite changes; caution should be exercised when pushing.
What are Git and GitHub PDF?
Git and GitHub are development platforms that allow developers to host and review code, manage projects, and collaborate with millions of other developers on software development. Git is an open-source distributed version control system that makes using GitHub on your laptop or desktop much easier.
What is git beginner?
Git is a version control system for recording changes in computer files and coordinating many people’s work on those files. Git is an acronym for “Git is a Distributed Version Control System.
