Understand basic git commands

Published on July 6, 2025

By : Mohammed KAIDI

✅ What is Git?

Git is a distributed version control system that lets you track code changes, revert to previous versions, and collaborate with others. It stores project history in snapshots called commits, allowing you to safely experiment without fear of losing work.

Official website: https://git-scm.com/

⚒️ How to Install Git

Windows / Mac / Linux

Download from https://git-scm.com/downloads
Follow the installer instructions
After installation, check with:
```
git --version
```

📦 Basic Git Workflow

1. Configure Git (First Time Only)

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Check configuration:

git config --list

2. Initialize a Git Repository

git init

Creates a .git folder to track changes.

3. Add Files and Make a Commit

git add .       # Adds all files to staging
git status      # Shows staged/unstaged files
git commit -m "Initial commit"

Staging means preparing files to be part of the next commit.

4. View Commit History

git log

Shows a list of commits with author, date, and message.

5. Connect to a Remote Repository (e.g., GitHub)

git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/your-repo.git
git push -u origin main

Note: Older tutorials use master; new convention is main.

6. Clone an Existing Repository

git clone https://github.com/username/repo.git

7. Pull Latest Changes

git pull

Fetches and merges changes from the remote repo.

8. Branching Basics

Create a new branch:

git checkout -b feature-branch

Switch branches:

git checkout main

Push new branch to remote:

git push -u origin feature-branch

9. Merge Changes

First, switch to main:

git checkout main
git merge feature-branch

If no conflicts, changes from feature-branch are merged into main.

10. Resolving Conflicts

If two people change the same lines, Git will ask you to manually fix conflicts. After fixing:

git add .
git commit

🛠️ Useful Git Commands

| Command | Description | |-----------------------------|---------------------------------------| | git status | Show current state of repo | | git diff | Show unstaged changes | | git stash | Temporarily save changes | | git stash pop | Reapply stashed changes | | git reset --hard | Discard all changes (careful!) | | git log --oneline --graph | Compact visual commit history | | git branch -d branch-name | Delete a local branch | | git remote -v | Show configured remote repositories |

🌍 Recommended Git Platforms

GitHub — Most popular for open-source projects
GitLab — Great for private repos and CI/CD
Bitbucket — Supports Git & Mercurial

🧠 Key Concepts Recap

Repository (Repo): Project folder tracked by Git
Commit: Snapshot of project state
Branch: Isolated line of development
Merge: Combine changes from one branch into another
Remote: Online copy of repo (GitHub, GitLab, etc.)
Clone: Copy a remote repo locally

🎯 Final Tips

Commit often with meaningful messages
Use branches for features or fixes
Always pull latest changes before pushing
Learn how to resolve merge conflicts
Use .gitignore to exclude files from tracking

📚 Useful Links

Git gives you control over your code. Learn it well — it's essential for any serious developer. 🚀