git status          # What changed?

git diff             # What exactly changed?

git log --oneline   # Recent commits

git add -A           # Stage everything

git commit -m "msg"  # Commit staged changes

git push origin main # Send to remote

# Unstage a file (keep changes)

git reset HEAD path/to/file



# Discard all unstaged changes in a file

git checkout -- path/to/file

# Or newer syntax:

git restore path/to/file



# Discard ALL unstaged changes

git checkout -- .

git restore .



# Uncommit (keep changes, remove commit)

git reset --soft HEAD~1    # Changes stay staged

git reset HEAD~1           # Changes stay unstaged

git reset --hard HEAD~1    # Changes GONE forever ⚠️



# Amend last commit (fix message or add forgotten file)

git commit --amend -m "Better message"

git add forgotten-file.txt

git commit --amend         # Add file to previous commit

# Edit/reorder/squash last 5 commits

git rebase -i HEAD~5



# Opens editor with:

pick abc1234 First commit

pick def5678 Second commit

pick ghi9012 Third commit

pick jkl3456 Fourth commit

pick mno7890 Fifth commit



# Change 'pick' to:

# reword  = edit commit message

# edit    = pause to amend files

# squash  = merge into previous commit

# fixup   = merge into previous (discard this message)

# drop    = remove commit entirely

# exec    = run shell command



# Example: Squash the last 2 commits into one

pick abc1234 First commit

squash def5678 Second commit

# → Creates single commit with combined changes

# Save current work temporarily

git stash

git stash push -m "WIP: feature X"



# List all stashes

git stash list

# stash@{0}: On main: WIP: feature X

# stash@{1}: On main: bugfix attempt



# Restore most recent stash

git stash pop      # Apply + remove from list

git stash apply    # Apply + keep in list



# Restore specific stash

git stash apply stash@{1}



# Drop a stash

git stash drop stash@{0}



# Clear all stashes

git stash clear



# Stash only some files (not everything)

git stash push -m "partial" src/utils.js src/config.js



# Stash with untracked files included

git stash push -u -m "include new files"

# Search commit messages

git log --grep="bug fix" --oneline

git log --grep="auth" --since="2026-01-01"



# Search code content across all history

git log -S "functionName" --oneline     # Added/removed this string

git log -G "pattern" --oneline          # Changed matching this regex

git log -p -S "TODO"                    # Show actual diffs too



# Find which commit introduced a bug

git bisect start

git bisect bad                          # Current version has bug

git bisect good v1.0.0                  # This version was fine

# Git will check out middle commit → you test → mark good/bad

# Repeat until it finds the exact bad commit

git bisect reset                        # When done



# Search current working tree

git grep "search term"                  # In tracked files

git grep "search term" $(git rev-list --all)  # Across ALL history!

# Start a new feature

git checkout -b feature/user-auth

# Or:

git switch -c feature/user-auth



# Make commits...

git add -A && git commit -m "Add login page"



# Update your branch with latest main

git fetch origin

git rebase origin/main        # Cleaner than merge for PRs



# Push branch (first time needs -u)

git push -u origin feature/user-auth



# After PR is merged, clean up

git branch -d feature/user-auth              # Delete local

git push origin --delete feature/user-auth   # Delete remote

# See all branches (local + remote)

git branch -a



# Rename current branch

git branch -m old-name new-name



# Rename remote branch (after local rename)

git push origin :old-name new-name



# Switch to previous branch

git checkout -

# Or: git switch -



# Compare branches

git log main..feature-branch --oneline    # Commits in feature but not main

git diff main...feature-branch            # Diff between branch tips



# Merge vs Rebase summary:

# git merge feature   → Creates merge commit, preserves exact history

# git rebase feature  → Linear history, rewrites commits (cleaner for PRs)

# Fetch all remotes (doesn't merge)

git fetch --all



# Pull = fetch + merge

git pull origin main



# Pull with rebase (avoids extra merge commits)

git pull --rebase origin main



# Force push (⚠️ dangerous on shared branches!)

git push --force-with-lease origin feature-branch

# Safer than --force: checks if remote changed first



# Remove remote tracking branch that was deleted

git prune

git fetch --prune                         # Fetch + cleanup stale refs

# Apply one commit from another branch

git cherry-pick abc1234



# Apply multiple commits

git cherry-pick abc1234 def5678 ghi9012



# Cherry-pick without committing (edit first)

git cherry-pick -n abc1234

# Make changes, then:

git commit -m "Modified cherry-pick"



# Cherry-pick from another repo (as patch)

git format-patch -1 abc1234 --stdout > /tmp/patch.git

git am < /tmp/patch.git

# Forgot to include a file in last commit?

git add forgotten-file.js

git commit --amend --no-edit



# Need to change an older commit? Use interactive rebase:

git rebase -i HEAD~5

# Change 'pick' to 'edit' on the target commit

# Make your changes

git add fixed-file.js

git rebase --continue



# Split a commit into two:

git rebase -i HEAD~3

# Change 'pick' to 'edit' on target commit

git reset HEAD~1                # Uncommit while keeping changes

git add file-a.js               # Stage part of changes

git commit -m "Part A: file A"

git add file-b.js               # Stage rest

git commit -m "Part B: file B"

git rebase --continue

# Patterns

node_modules/                   # Directory

*.log                           # All .log files

!.important.log                 # Except this one

build/                          # Build output

.env                            # Secrets (NEVER commit!)

.DS_Store                       # macOS junk

.vscode/                        # Editor config (optional)



# Global ignore (for all repos)

git config --global core.excludesfile ~/.gitignore_global



# Debug what's being ignored

git check-ignore -v node_modules/debug.log

git status --ignored            # Show ignored files too



# Track a file that's already .gitignored

git add -f important.log        # Force add (-f overrides ignore rules)



# Stop tracking a file (but keep locally)

git rm --cached large-file.dat

# Then add to .gitignore

# Save typing with aliases

git config --global alias.co checkout

git config --global alias.br branch

git config --global alias.ci commit

git config --global alias.st status

git config --global alias.lg "log --graph --oneline --decorate -20"

git config --global alias.unstage "reset HEAD --"

git config --global alias.last "log -1 --stat"

git config --global alias.amend "commit --amend --no-edit"

git config --global alias.cleanup "!git branch --merged | grep -v '\\*\\|main\\|develop' | xargs git branch -d"

git config --global alias.discard "checkout --"



# Now use:

git co feature-branch       # = git checkout

git lg                      # Beautiful graph log

git cleanup                 # Delete merged branches

git discard filename        # Discard changes to file