Version control is a crucial part of modern software development, and Git is the most widely used version control system. GitHub, on the other hand, provides a cloud-based platform for hosting Git repositories.

This article covers essential Git and GitHub commands to help you manage your projects efficiently.

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1. Getting Started with Git

Before using Git, you need to install and configure it on your machine.

Commands:

• Install Git: Download and install Git from git-scm.com.

• Check Git version:
  

git --version

• Set up username and email (required for commits):

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

• View configuration settings:

git config --list

2. Git Basics: Local Repository Operations

These commands allow you to initialize a repository, add files, commit changes, and check history.

Commands:

• Initialize a new repository:

git init

• Check repository status:

git status

• Add files to the staging area:

git add <filename> 
git add .  # Add all files

• Commit staged files with a message:

git commit -m "Initial commit"

• View commit history:

git log

• Show details of a specific commit:

git show <commit-hash>

3. Working with Git Branches

Branches allow you to work on new features without affecting the main codebase.

Commands:

• Create a new branch:

git branch <branch-name>

• Switch to a branch:

git checkout <branch-name>

• Create and switch to a new branch:

git checkout -b <branch-name>

• List all branches:

git branch

• Merge another branch into the current branch:

git merge <branch-name>

• Delete a branch:

git branch -D <branch-name>

4. Introduction to GitHub

GitHub hosts Git repositories online, making collaboration easier.

Commands:

• Generate an SSH key for authentication:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your.email@example.com"

• View and copy your SSH public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

• Connect Git to GitHub via HTTPS:

git remote add origin https://github.com/<your-username>/<repo-name>.git

• Connect Git to GitHub via SSH:

git remote add origin git@github.com:<your-username>/<repo-name>.git

• Check remote repository connections:

git remote -v

5. Interacting with GitHub

Collaboration involves pushing, pulling, and cloning repositories.

Commands:

• Pull the latest changes before pushing:

git pull origin <branch-name>

• Push local commits to GitHub:

git push origin <branch-name>

• Clone a remote repository:

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

• Clone a remote repository with a new name:

git clone https://github.com/<user>/<repo>.git newname

6. Undoing Changes and Managing History

These commands help revert changes and modify commit history.

Commands:

• Unstage a file:

git reset HEAD <file>

• Discard changes in a file:

git checkout -- <file>

• Reset to a previous commit:

git reset --hard <commit-hash>

• Revert a commit (without modifying history):

git revert <commit-hash>

• Modify the most recent commit message:

git commit --amend -m "Updated commit message"

• Stash uncommitted changes:

git stash

• Apply latest stashed changes:

git stash apply

• Apply specific stashed changes:

git stash list # See all stashed list

git stash apply stash@{1} # Apply a specific stash

7. Managing Contributions: Forks, Pull Requests, and Code Review

Commands:

• Clone a forked repository:

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

• Push changes to your forked repository:

git push origin <branch-name>

8. Viewing File Changes

Commands:

• View unstaged changes:

git diff

• View staged changes:

git diff --staged

9. Ignoring Files using .gitignore

Commands:

• Create a .gitignore file:

touch .gitignore

10. Inspecting the Log of Commits

Commands:

• View commit history:

git log

• Compact commit history:

git log --oneline

11. Renaming Files in Git

Commands:

• Rename a file and track changes:

git mv old-file.txt new-file.txt

12. Advanced Git Features

Commands:

• Cherry-pick a specific commit:

git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

• Rebase a branch:

git rebase master

To understand the difference between merge and rebase with live demo check out the course.

• Create a new tag:

git tag v1.0

• Push tags to GitHub:

git push origin v1.0

With these Git and GitHub commands, you can manage version control efficiently and collaborate seamlessly with others. Mastering these tools will enhance your productivity as a developer.

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