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Git Commands Reference

Clone

git clone git@github.com:<username>/<repo>.git

NOTE: If you have multiple SSH profiles, replace github.com with your SSH config host (e.g., github_vdi). Check your ~/.ssh/config file.

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

Push Existing Local Project to GitHub

If you already have a local project with git init, connect it to GitHub:

git remote add origin git@github.com:<username>/<repo>.git
git branch -M main
git push -u origin main

NOTE: If you have multiple SSH profiles, replace github.com with your SSH config host (e.g., github_vdi). Check your ~/.ssh/config file.

git remote add origin https://github.com/<username>/<repo>.git
git branch -M main
git push -u origin main

NOTE: Create an empty repository on GitHub first (without README or .gitignore) before pushing.

Branch Management

Command Description
git switch <branch> Switch to an existing branch
git switch -c <branch> Create and switch to a new branch
git switch - Switch to the previous branch
git branch List local branches
git branch -a List all branches (local and remote)
git branch -d <branch> Delete a branch (safe, checks if merged)
git branch -D <branch> Force delete a branch (even if not merged)
git branch -m <old> <new> Rename a branch

Flags for git switch

Flag Description
-c Create a new branch and switch to it
- Switch to the previously checked out branch
--discard-changes Discard local changes when switching

Committing

Command Description
git add . Stage all changes in current directory
git add -A Stage all changes (entire repo)
git add <file> Stage a specific file
git commit -m "message" Commit with a message
git status Show working tree status
git diff Show unstaged changes

One-liner (Add + Commit)

git add -A && git commit -m "Your message here"

Or using PowerShell 5.x (use semicolon):

git add -A; git commit -m "Your message here"

Flags for git add

Flag Description
-A Stage all changes (new, modified, deleted) in entire repo
. Stage all changes in current directory and subdirectories
-p Interactive staging (choose which hunks to stage)
-u Stage only modified and deleted files (not new files)

Flags for git commit

Flag Description
-m "message" Provide commit message inline
-a Automatically stage modified files (not new files)
-am "message" Combine -a and -m (stage modified + commit)
--amend Modify the last commit

Merging

Command Description
git merge <branch> Merge a branch into current branch
git merge --abort Cancel a merge in progress

Flags for git merge

Flag Description
--no-ff Create a merge commit even for fast-forward
--abort Abort the current merge operation
--squash Squash all commits into one (no auto-commit)

Remote Operations

Command Description
git pull origin <branch> Fetch and merge from remote
git push origin <branch> Push branch to remote
git push -u origin <branch> Push and set upstream tracking
git push origin --delete <branch> Delete a remote branch

Flags for git push

Flag Description
-u Set upstream tracking for the branch
--delete Delete a branch on the remote

Flags for git pull

Flag Description
--rebase Rebase instead of merge when pulling

Stash

Command Description
git stash Temporarily save uncommitted changes
git stash pop Restore stashed changes and remove from stash
git stash list Show all stashed changes
git stash drop Delete most recent stash

Undo

Command Description
git restore <file> Discard changes in a file (back to last commit)
git restore --staged <file> Unstage a file (keeps changes in working directory)
git reset --soft HEAD~1 Undo last commit but keep changes staged
git reset --hard HEAD~1 Undo last commit and discard all changes
git commit --amend Edit the last commit message or add forgotten files

Tagging (for releases)

Command Description
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "message" Create an annotated tag
git push origin v1.0.0 Push a tag to remote
git tag List all tags
git tag -d v1.0.0 Delete a local tag

Flags for git tag

Flag Description
-a Create an annotated tag
-m "message" Tag message
-d Delete a tag

Log

Command Description
git log --oneline Compact commit history
git log --oneline --graph --all Visual branch history
git log -n 5 Show last 5 commits
git log --author="name" Filter by author