Git: Key commands for developers
For modern developers, Git is an indispensable tool. Mastering its commands is essential to optimizing the workflow. This guide contains some of the commands I use most frequently during my development process.
1. Create and Access a Branch
This is undoubtedly one of the commands I use most during development. If I need to create a new branch and access it, I simply use:
git checkout -b branchName
This command combines two other Git commands:
git branch branchName
git checkout branchName
2. Delete a Branch
If you need to delete a branch, you can use git branch -d or git branch -D. The difference between the two approaches is that when using -d, Git checks if the branch has been merged before deleting it. With -D, there is no such verification; the branch will be deleted even if there are unmerged changes.
- Safe delete
git branch -d branchName
- Non-safe delete
git branch -D branchName
In Detail:
3. Rename a Branch
Would you like to rename one of your branches but don’t know how? Just use:
git branch -m oldBranchName newBranchName
Or, if you need to rename the current branch, you can do it with:
git branch -m newBranchName
4. Commit All Your Changes
Would you like to stage your modifications and commit them right away? Execute:
git commit -am "commit message"
Similar to the first item on this list, this command also combines two other Git commands:
git add *
git commit -m "commit message"
5. Stash Your Changes
Want to take a break from development but don’t want to lose your changes? Use:
git stash
This command will stash all the non-staged modifications in your project. The stash works as a stack, meaning every time you execute this command, you add a new layer to the stash stack.
If you need to retrieve a stashed change, just execute:
git stash pop
This command retrieves the last stashed change and removes it from the stack.
If you plan to use stash multiple times, I recommend checking out the documentation linked below.
In Detail:
6. Revert a Commit
If you need to revert a commit, execute:
git revert commitHash
This command undoes the changes made by the specified commit without removing it from Git’s commit history.
You can check the hash of a commit using the command git reflog.
Interestingly, you can execute the command using only the first six characters of the commit hash.
In Detail:
Moral of the Story
I saw a similar text in English and decided to write my version about it. The idea behind this text was to share a bit of what I know/use regarding some Git commands that help improve our work efficiency.
Consider revisiting this text from time to time and adding new commands.