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Git Cheatsheet — Common Commands Quick Reference

DodaTech 3 min read

In this tutorial, you'll learn about Git Cheatsheet. We cover key concepts, practical examples, and best practices to help you understand and apply this topic effectively.

Git commands for setup, staging, branching, merging, remote operations, history inspection, and undo — the essential toolkit for version control.

Setup & Configuration

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

Basic Workflow

Command What it does
git init Initialize repo in current dir
git clone <url> Copy remote repo locally
git add <file> Stage changes
git add . Stage all changes
git commit -m "msg" Commit staged changes
git status Show working tree state
git log --oneline Compact commit history

Branching & Merging

git branch <name>        # create branch
git checkout <name>      # switch branch
git switch <name>        # modern alternative
git checkout -b <name>   # create + switch
git merge <branch>       # merge into current
git branch -d <name>     # delete branch

Remote Operations

Command What it does
git remote -v List remotes
git remote add origin <url> Add remote
git push origin main Push to remote
git pull origin main Fetch + merge
git fetch origin Fetch without merge

Undoing Changes

git restore <file>         # discard unstaged changes
git restore --staged <f>   # unstage (keep changes)
git reset HEAD~1           # undo last commit (keep changes)
git reset --hard HEAD~1    # undo + discard changes
git revert <hash>          # safe undo via new commit

Stash

git stash              # save work-in-progress
git stash pop          # restore + remove stash
git stash list         # list stashes
git stash drop         # remove top stash

Diff & Log

git diff                # unstaged changes
git diff --staged       # staged changes
git log --oneline -5    # last 5 commits
git log --graph --all   # visual branch graph
git blame <file>        # who changed what

Tag

git tag v1.0.0              # lightweight tag
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "msg"  # annotated tag
git push origin --tags      # push all tags

.gitignore

# Common entries
node_modules/
.env
*.log
dist/
.DS_Store

Common Workflows

Feature branch:

git checkout -b feature-x
git add . && git commit -m "Add feature x"
git checkout main && git merge feature-x

Fix last commit:

git add forgotten-file.js
git commit --amend --no-edit
What is the difference between `git pull` and `git fetch`?

git fetch downloads remote changes without modifying your working directory. git pull does fetch + merge (or fetch + rebase with --rebase), updating your current branch. Use fetch when you want to inspect changes before integrating them.

How do I undo a Git commit that has already been pushed?

Use git revert <hash> — it creates a new commit that undoes the changes, which is safe for shared branches. Do NOT use git reset --hard on pushed commits as it rewrites history.

What is the difference between merge and rebase?

git merge creates a new merge commit preserving the full history of both branches. git rebase replays commits from one branch onto another, creating a linear history. Use merge for shared branches, rebase for local cleanup before pushing

See the complete Git tutorials for advanced workflows.

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