Git Cheat Sheet

Create Repositories

Start a new repository or obtain one from an existing URL

command	description
git init <project-name>	Initialize a new local repository with the specified name
git clone <url>	Downloads a project and its entire version history

Configure Tooling

Configure user information for all local repositories

command	description
git config --global user.name "<name>"	Sets the name to your commit transactions
git config --global user.email "<email address>"	Sets the email to your commit transactions
git config --global color.ui auto	Enables helpful colorization of command line output
git config core.editor "vim"	Set vim as default text editor (e.g., editing commit message) (nano is too hard for me:))

Make Changes

Review edits and craft a commit transaction

command	description
git status	Lists all new or modified files to be committed
git diff	Shows file differences not yet staged
git add <file>	Snapshots the file in preparation for versioning
git add -A or git add .	Includes all modification in stage
git diff --staged	Shows file differences between staging and the last file version
gie reset <file>	Unstages the file, but preserve its contents
git commit -m "<descriptive message>"	Records file snapshots permanently in version history
git commit --amend	Modifies commit message for not pushed commit; if pushed, use git push --force <branch>

Group Changes

Name a series of commits and combine completed efforts

command	description
git branch	Lists all local branches in the current repository
git branch <branch-name>	Creates a new branch
git checkout <branch-name>	Switches to the specified branch and updates the working directory
git merge <branch>	Combines the specified branch’s history into the current branch
git branch -d <branch-name>	Deletes the specified branch locally
git push origin :<branch-name>	Deletes the specified branch remotely

Refactor Filenames

Relocate and remove versioned files

command	description
git rm <file>	Deletes the file from the working directory and stages the deletion
git rm --cached <file>	Removes the file from version control but preserves the file locally
git mv <file-original> <file-renamed>	Changes the file name and prepares it for commit
git clean (-d) <file>	Removes untracked files from working tree (locally), -d for directory

Suppress Tracking

Exclude temporary files and paths

command	description
vim .gitignore	Creates a text file named .gitignore to exclude specified files from versioning
git ls-files --other --ignored --exclude-standard	Lists all ignored files in this project

Save Fragments

Shelve and restore incomplete changes

command	description
git stash	Temporarily stores all modified tracked files
git stash pop	Resotres the most recently stashed files
git stash list	Lists all stashed changesets
git stash drop	Discards the most recently stashed changeset

Review History

Browse and inspect the evolution of project files

command	description
git log (--graph --color)	Lists version history for the current branch
git reflog	Reference logs, records when the tips of branches and other references were updated locally.
git log --follow <file>	Lists version history for a file, including renames
git dff <first-branch>...<second-branch>	Shows content differences between two branches
git show <commit>	Outputs metadata and content changes of the specified commit

Redo Commits

Erase mistakes and craft replacement history

command	description
git reset <commit>	Undoes all commits after <commit>, preserving changes locally
git reset --hard <commit>	Discards all history and changes back to the specified commit
git reset --soft <commit>	Undos a local commit and keeps changes

Synchronize Changes

Register a repository bookmark and exchange version history

command	description
git fetch <bookmark>	Downloads all history from the repository bookmark
git merge <bookmark>/<branch>	Combines bookmark’s branch into current local branch
git push <alias> <branch>	Uploads all local branch commits to Remote
git pull	Downloads bookmark history and incorporates changes

Track Files

• Force tracking target file：git update-index --no-assume-unchanged <file>
• Force not tracking target file：git update-index --assume-unchanged <file>

Tag Operation

• Based on HEAD：git tag <name>
  • Based on specific commit：git tag <name> <commit>
  • Add tag info：git tag -m <message> <name>
  • Add tag with PGP：git tag -s <name>
• Check tags：git tag
• Push specific tag to remote repo：git push <repo-name> <tag-name>
  • Push all tags to remote repo：git push <repo-name> --tags
• Delete specific tag in specific repo：git push <repo-name> :refs/tags/<tag-name>

Module Operation

• Add submodule：git submodule add -b <branch> --name <name> <repo> <path>
• Check submodule status：git submodule status
• clone project with submodule
  • method I：git clone <repo> --recursive

  • method II：

      git clone <repo>
      git submodule update --init --recursive
    

• Delete submodule：

    git deinit <path>
    git rm --cached <path>
    rm -rf <path>
    [edit .gitmodules to remove submodule item]
  

• Execute commands in submodule：git submodule foreach <command>
• Update submodule：git submodule update --recursive --remote

Fun Facts

1. In GIt, HEAD represent current version (i.e., the latest push); last version is HEAD^, last last version is HEAD^^, last 100 version is HEAD~100.
2. A lot of commands has -n or --dry-run option. When apply such an option, the command won’t run; instead, it outputs what it will do, so that user can determine to proceed or not.

Reference

1. Git Official Website
2. Git Cheat Sheet