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Version control

Git Command Cheat Sheet

Quick Git commands for everyday version control: checking changes, staging files, committing, branching, merging, pulling, pushing, stashing and safely undoing mistakes.

Setup

Set name

git config --global user.name "Your Name"

Set email

git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

Set default branch

git config --global init.defaultBranch main

Show config

git config --list

Daily workflow

Task	Command
Check current state	`git status`
Show unstaged changes	`git diff`
Stage one file	`git add file.txt`
Stage all changes	`git add .`
Commit staged changes	`git commit -m "Message"`
Show short history	`git log --oneline --decorate --graph`

Branches

List branches

git branch

Create branch

git branch feature-name

Switch branch

git switch feature-name

Create and switch

git switch -c feature-name

Merge branch

git merge feature-name

Delete branch

git branch -d feature-name

Remotes

Task	Command
Clone repository	`git clone https://example.com/project.git`
Show remotes	`git remote -v`
Add remote	`git remote add origin URL`
Fetch updates	`git fetch`
Pull safely if fast-forward only	`git pull --ff-only`
Push branch	`git push origin branch-name`
Push and set upstream	`git push -u origin branch-name`

Inspect changes and history

Compact log

git log --oneline

Graph log

git log --oneline --graph --decorate --all

Show commit details

git show COMMIT_HASH

Compare branches

git diff main..feature-name

Stash unfinished work

Save work

git stash push -m "WIP message"

List stashes

git stash list

Apply and remove stash

git stash pop

Apply without removing

git stash apply stash@{0}

Undo safely

Task	Command	Notes
Unstage file	`git restore --staged file.txt`	Keeps file changes.
Discard file changes	`git restore file.txt`	Reverts file to last commit.
Undo last commit, keep staged changes	`git reset --soft HEAD~1`	Good for fixing commit messages or adding missed files.
Undo commit with new reverse commit	`git revert COMMIT_HASH`	Safer for shared branches.
Danger: discard all local changes	`git reset --hard`	Destructive. Use only if you really mean it.

For shared branches, prefer git revert over rewriting history with reset. Future you will thank present you.

Examples with output

Status output

$ git status
On branch main
Changes not staged for commit:
  modified:   index.html

Untracked files:
  notes.txt

Commit output

$ git commit -m "Fix header spacing"
[main a91c4d2] Fix header spacing
 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

Short history

$ git log --oneline -3
a91c4d2 Fix header spacing
4b91d0e Add Git cheat sheet
c73a220 Fix quiz navigation

Branch creation

$ git switch -c update-footer
Switched to a new branch 'update-footer'

Stash output

$ git stash push -m "WIP footer"
Saved working directory and index state On main: WIP footer

$ git stash list
stash@{0}: On main: WIP footer

Unstage output

$ git restore --staged config.php
Unstaged changes after reset:
M       config.php

Safe Git workflows

Git workflows for everyday use

Check before changing

git status
git diff

Commit changes

git add file.txt
git commit -m "Update file"

Undo uncommitted file changes

git restore file.txt

Undo a commit safely

git revert COMMIT_HASH

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I see changed files?

Use git status for a summary and git diff for detailed changes.

How do I unstage a file?

Use git restore --staged file.txt.

How do I undo a commit safely?

Use git revert COMMIT_HASH.

Should I use git reset on shared branches?

Avoid rewriting shared history unless you know exactly what you are doing.