Git Commands Cheat Sheet: Complete Reference Guide

Introduction

Git is an essential tool for modern software development, enabling efficient version control and collaboration. This cheat sheet provides a quick reference to the most commonly used Git commands, organized by function.

Related: Check out our Docker Cheat Sheet for container commands and HTTP Headers Cheat Sheet for web development.

Setup and Configuration

Configure your Git installation.

Command	Description
git config --global user.name "[name]"	Sets the name you want attached to your commit transactions.
git config --global user.email "[email address]"	Sets the email you want attached to your commit transactions.
git config --global --edit	Opens the global configuration file in a text editor for manual editing.
git init [repository name]	Initializes a new local Git repository.
git clone [url]	Downloads a project and its entire version history from a remote repository.

Staging and Committing

Manage changes to your files.

Command	Description
git status	Lists all new or modified files to be committed.
git add [file]	Snapshots the file in preparation for versioning.
git add .	Stages all current changes in the current directory.
git reset [file]	Unstages the file, but preserves its contents.
git diff	Shows file differences that have not yet been staged.
git diff --staged	Shows file differences between staging and the last file version.
git commit -m "[descriptive message]"	Records file snapshots permanently in version history.
git commit --amend	Amends the most recent commit.

Branching and Merging

Work with branches.

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 checkout -b [branch-name]	Creates a new branch and switches to it.
git merge [branch-name]	Combines the specified branch’s history into the current branch.
git branch -d [branch-name]	Deletes the specified branch.

Remote Repositories

Collaborate with others.

Command	Description
git remote -v	Lists all currently configured remote repositories.
git remote add [shortname] [url]	Adds a new remote Git repository as a shortname.
git fetch [shortname]	Downloads all history from the remote repository.
git pull [shortname] [branch]	Fetches and merges the specified remote branch into the current branch.
git push [shortname] [branch]	Uploads all local branch commits to the remote repository.
git push [shortname] --all	Pushes all local branches to the remote repository.

History and Logging

Inspect repository history.

Command	Description
git log	Shows the commit history for the current branch.
git log --follow [file]	Shows the commit history for a file, including renames.
git log --oneline	Shows the commit history in a condensed, one-line format.
git blame [file]	Shows who changed what and when in a file.

Undoing Changes

Revert and reset changes.

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 revert [commit]	Creates a new commit that undoes all of the changes made in [commit], preserving the history.
git checkout -- [file]	Discards changes in the working directory for a specific file.

Stashing

Temporarily save changes.

Command	Description
git stash	Temporarily stores all modified tracked files.
git stash pop	Restores the most recently stashed files.
git stash list	Lists all stashed changesets.
git stash drop	Discards the most recently stashed changeset.

Conclusion

This Git cheat sheet covers the most important and frequently used commands. For a more in-depth look at what Git can do, check out the official Git documentation.