Git, the widely used distributed version control system, has revolutionized the way developers collaborate and manage their codebases. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting your coding journey, having a solid understanding of essential Git commands is crucial for maintaining an efficient workflow and ensuring the integrity of your projects.

As said by Ben Collins-Sussman, Co-founder of Google Code 👇🏾

Git is a powerful tool for distributed version control. It is a way to ensure that your project evolves gracefully over time, no matter how many people are working on it.

Now steal this git cheat sheet I prepared for you 😀

🔗Configurations

• Configure your name. This would serve as the author of the commit : git config --global user.name "[fistname lastname]"
• Configure your email. This would serve as the email of the author : git config --global user.email "[your_email]"

🌱Initialization

• Initialize a new Git repository : git init
• Create a local copy of a remote repository : git clone <repository_url>
• Add a remote repository : git remote add <remote_name> <remote_url>

📝Basic Workflow

• Add a file to the staging area : git add <filename>
• Add all files to the staging area : git add .
• Commit changes to the repository : git commit -m "[commit_message]"

🔁Updating and Publishing

• Publish all local commits to a remote branch : git push <remote_name> <branch_name>
• Publish all local commits to a new branch : git push -u <remote_name> <branch_name>
• Update the local repository : git pull
• Download remote changes without merging : git fetch

🌿Branches

• Create a new branch : git branch <branch_name>
• Switch to a branch : git checkout <branch_name>
• Create a new branch and switch to it : git checkout -b <branch_name>
• List all the branches : git branch -a
• Determine your current branch : git branch

🔀Merging

• Combine changes of one branch to your current branch : git merge <branch_name>
• Reapply commits on top of another base commit : git rebase <branch_name>

🔃Resets

• Discard all local changes : git reset --hard HEAD

🔍Status and History

• View the status of the working directory : git status
• Show difference between commits or the working directory : git diff
• Show commit history : git log
• Display who last modified each line of a file : git blame

💼Additional commands

• Remove untracked files : git clean -f

Useful tips ✍🏾

• Don’t EVER commit private keys / Api keys / certificates.
• Use descriptive commit messages and branch names.
• Create a branch for every new feature, and delete the branch once the feature is merged into main.
• Ignore some files using a .gitignore file.
• Regularly update and sync with remote repositories
• Use git alias for frequently used commands.

Visit Atlassian or GitHub Education to read more on other advanced git commands🔥

In conclusion, mastering Git commands is crucial for efficient version control and collaboration in software development, enabling developers to effectively manage projects and streamline workflows.

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Happy coding 👨🏾‍💻