Git Cheat Sheet

Reference: GeekHour youtube video Get repo cover image https://opengraph.githubassets.com/1/{username}/{repository} Get code online https://raw.githubusercontent.com/benson1231/{repo-name}/{file-name}

1. Basic Git Settings

Get Git Version

git --version

Initialize a Git Repository

git init

Set Author Name and Email

git config --global user.name "USER_NAME"
git config --global user.email "USER_EMAIL"

git config --global pull.rebase true
# Use rebase as the default behavior for 'git pull'
# - Prevents divergent-branch errors
# - Keeps commit history clean and linear
# - Recommended for most workflows

List Git Configurations

git config --list

Add a Git Alias

git config --global alias.glop "log --pretty=format:'%h %s' --graph"
# Use alias to view commit history:
git glop

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2. Git Areas and File Status

Git Areas

• Working Directory: The actual files on your local system that you edit.

• Staging Area (Index): A place where changes are staged before committing.

• Local Repository: The committed changes stored on your local machine.

• Remote Repository: A repository hosted on a remote server (e.g., GitHub, GitLab).

File Status

• Untracked: New files that are not yet being tracked by Git.

• Modified: Files that have been edited but not yet staged.

• Staged: Changes that are added to the staging area and ready to commit.

• Committed: Changes that have been saved to the local repository.

Commands to Check Status

git status              # Check file status

3. Basic Git Commands

Stage Files

git add FILE_NAME        # Add a specific file
git add *.md             # Add all Markdown files
git add .                # Add all files

Commit Changes

git commit -m "UPDATE_MESSAGE"   # Commit with a message
git commit --amend               # Amend the last commit

View Commit History

git log                     # Show detailed commit history
git log --oneline           # Show each commit in one line
git log --oneline --graph   # Show commit history as a graph

View Changes

git diff FILE_NAME                  # View changes in a file
git diff COMMIT_SHA -- FILE_NAME    # Compare a specific commit with a file

Restore File to Last Commit

git restore FILE_NAME

Reset Changes

git reset --hard COMMIT_SHA    # Completely undo a commit and delete changes
git reset --soft COMMIT_SHA    # Undo the last commit but keep changes
git reset --mixed COMMIT_SHA   # Undo the commit but retain changes (unstaged)
git reset HEAD FILE_NAME       # Unstage a file

Discard Local Changes

git checkout COMMIT_SHA -- FILE_NAME

Use .gitignore to Ignore Files

*.png   # Ignore all .png files

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4. Branch Commands

List and Create Branches

git branch                     # List branches
git branch BRANCH_NAME         # Create a branch
git branch -d BRANCH_NAME      # Delete a branch
git branch -M main             # Rename the branch to 'main'

Switch Branches

建議使用 git switch 指令，這是較新且語意更清晰的分支切換方式（自 Git 2.23 起支援）。

# 建立並切換到新分支
git switch -c BRANCH_NAME

# 切換到已存在的分支
git switch main

# 還原目前分支的特定檔案
git restore FILE_NAME

備註：

• git switch 是專門為切換分支設計的命令，與 git checkout 相比語意更明確。

• git restore 可取代 git checkout HEAD FILE 的用途，用於還原檔案內容。

若你使用的是 Git 2.23 以下的版本，則仍須使用 git checkout。

Merge Branches

git merge BRANCH_NAME

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5. Remote Commands

Clone a Repository

git clone https://github.com/benson1231/git_test.git

Remote Repository Management

git remote -v                       # View remote repositories
git remote add origin REPO_NAME     # Add a remote repository
git remote remove REPO_NAME         # Remove a remote repository

Change remote URL to 'ssh'

git remote set-url origin [e-mail]:{USER}/{REPO_NAME}.git

Push Changes

git push origin BRANCH_NAME         # Push to a remote branch
git push origin --tags              # Push local tags to remote

Pull Changes

git pull origin BRANCH_NAME         # Pull the latest changes and merge

Fetch Changes

git fetch                           # Fetch updates without merging

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6. Advanced Commands

Save Changes Temporarily

git stash save "message"       # Save changes with a description
git stash save -u "message"     # Save tracked and untracked files
git stash save -a "message"     # Save all files, including ignored ones

List Stashed Changes

git stash list                   # View all stashes

Restore Stashed Changes

git stash apply                  # Restore the most recent stash without removing it
git stash pop                    # Restore and remove the most recent stash
git stash pop stash@{2}          # Restore and remove a specific stash

Drop Stashed Changes

git stash drop stash@{2}         # Remove a specific stash
git stash clear                  # Remove all stashes

Garbage Collection

git gc

Remove Untracked Files

git clean -f

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7. Git Workflow and GitFlow

GitFlow Overview

• Main Branch (main/master): Represents the stable version of the project.

• Development Branch (develop): Used for ongoing development.

• Feature Branches (feature): For developing individual features.

• Release Branches (release): Used for preparing releases.

• Hotfix Branches (hotfix): For emergency fixes on the main branch.

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8. Git Rebase and References

Git Rebase

git rebase BASE_BRANCH

git config --global pull.rebase true

• Rebase: Moves or combines commits from one branch to another to maintain a linear history.

• Interactive Rebase: Allows editing, squashing, or reordering commits.

  git rebase -i BASE_BRANCH

Git References Table

Reference	Description
HEAD	Points to the current commit
HEAD~4	Refers to the 4th commit before HEAD
HEAD^	Refers to the parent of HEAD
main	The default primary branch
origin	The default name for the remote repo

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Summary

This cheat sheet provides essential Git commands and concepts to help manage repositories effectively. Use it as a quick reference to streamline your Git workflow.