Git Cheat Sheet
This page condenses everyday Git into one page: staging, committing, branching, remotes, stashing, and undoing mistakes, with examples for JavaScript projects. You can also download the information as a printable cheat sheet:
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Getting Started
- Git runs locally; GitHub is just one place to host a repo
--globalsettings apply to every repo on your machine- Run
git statusearly and often git help <command>opens any command’s manual
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Install Check and Identity
$ git --version
git version 2.43.0
$ git config --global user.name "Your Name"
$ git config --global user.email \
"[email protected]"
$ git config --global init.defaultBranch main
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Start or Copy a Repository
$ mkdir hello-git && cd hello-git
$ git init # Creates hidden .git/
$ git clone <url> # Copy an existing repo
Stage and Commit
- Working directory →
git add→ staging area →git commit→ history - Commit one logical change at a time
- Messages: imperative mood, first line ≤ 50 characters
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Check What Changed
$ git status -s
M main.js # Modified, not staged
?? README.md # Untracked
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Stage Changes
$ git add main.js # One file
$ git add . # Everything below here
$ git status -s
A README.md # Staged new file
M main.js # Staged modification
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Save a Snapshot
$ git commit -m "Add README"
$ git commit -am "Fix typo" # Tracked only
$ git commit # Opens editor for long message
Ignore Files
- Never commit secrets,
node_modules/, or build output - Commit
.gitignoreitself so the whole team shares it - Ignoring doesn’t untrack: use
git rm --cachedfirst
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A Node .gitignore
$ cat .gitignore
node_modules/
dist/
.env
*.log
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Debug and Untrack
$ git check-ignore -v .env
.gitignore:3:.env .env
$ git rm --cached secrets.txt
Inspect Changes and History
git diffcompares against the stage; new files don’t show- Press
qto leave the pager HEADis your current commit;HEAD~1is its parent
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Review a Diff
$ git diff # Unstaged changes
$ git diff --staged # What you'll commit
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-console.log(greet("World"));
+console.log(greet("Git learner"));
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Browse the Log
$ git log --oneline
1c692b1 Update greeting and add README
dd5a68a Add .gitignore
$ git log --oneline --graph --all
$ git log -p main.js # One file's history
$ git show HEAD # Last commit + diff
$ git blame main.js # Who wrote each line
Free Bonus: Download the Git Cheat Sheet PDF and keep the essentials at hand.
Branches and Merging
- A branch is a movable pointer to a commit; they’re cheap
- Commit or stash before you switch branches
- Merge into the branch you’re on
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Create and Switch
$ git switch -c add-farewell # New branch
$ git branch
* add-farewell
main
$ git switch main
$ git switch - # Back to previous branch
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Merge and Clean Up
$ git merge add-farewell
Fast-forward
$ git branch -d add-farewell
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Resolve a Conflict
$ git merge shout
CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in main.js
<<<<<<< HEAD
return `Hi, ${name}!`;
=======
return `HELLO, ${name}!`;
>>>>>>> shout
$ git add main.js && git commit # Resolved
$ git merge --abort # Or give up
Remote Repositories
originis the conventional name for your main remotefetchdownloads;pull=fetch+merge- Pull before you push to avoid rejected pushes
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Connect and Publish
$ git remote add origin <url>
$ git remote -v
$ git push -u origin main # First push
$ git push # After that
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Stay in Sync
$ git fetch # Download, don't merge
$ git pull # Download and merge
$ git pull --rebase # Replay yours on top
Stash Work in Progress
- Stash parks uncommitted changes so you can switch tasks
popapplies and deletes;applykeeps the stash
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Park and Restore
$ git stash push -m "wip"
$ git stash list
stash@{0}: On main: wip
$ git stash pop
Undo Mistakes
restoreon a file discards edits for good- Shared commits:
revert, neverresetor--amend reset --hardalso wipes uncommitted work
| Situation | Command |
|---|---|
| Unstage a file | git restore --staged f |
| Discard file edits | git restore f |
| Fix last message | git commit --amend |
| Undo commit, keep work | git reset --soft HEAD~1 |
| Undo a pushed commit | git revert <hash> |
| Rename a tracked file | git mv old new |
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Recover a Lost Commit
$ git reset --hard HEAD~1 # Oops!
$ git reflog
5349a96 HEAD@{0}: reset: moving to HEAD~1
5708734 HEAD@{1}: commit: Say hi instead
$ git reset --hard 5708734 # Back again
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Delete Untracked Files
$ git clean -n # Dry run first
Would remove tmp.log
$ git clean -f
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You can download this information as a printable cheat sheet:
Free Bonus: Git Cheat Sheet
Get the Git Cheat Sheet (PDF), a printable reference to setup, staging and commits, .gitignore, branches and merging, remotes, stash, and undoing mistakes:
