Git Command Quick Reference is an essential online reference tool for developers. Whether you're a Git beginner or an experienced developer, you can quickly find the commands you need here. The tool covers a complete command set from basic operations (init, commit, branch) to advanced usage (rebase, stash, submodules), with clear explanations and practical examples for each command. Keyword search support helps you find the right command in seconds, significantly boosting development efficiency.
What is Git?
Git is currently the world's most popular distributed version control system, created by Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux. It tracks file modification history, supports collaborative development among multiple people, and allows you to easily revert to any historical version. Git has become the standard tool for modern software development, and almost every developer needs to master it.
Common Git Command Categories
- Repository Operations: git init to initialize repo, git clone to clone remote repo, git remote to manage remote URLs
- Daily Workflow: git add to stage changes, git commit to commit changes, git push/pull to sync with remote
- Branch Management: git branch to create/delete branches, git checkout/switch to switch branches, git merge to merge branches
- History Viewing: git log to view commit history, git diff to view differences, git blame to view line modification records
Git Workflow Explained
Git workflow involves three areas: Working Directory is where you actually edit files; Staging Area temporarily holds changes ready to commit; Repository stores all committed version history. After modifying files, use git add to stage them, git commit to save to the repository, and finally git push to share with your team on the remote repository.
Git Branching Strategies
A good branching strategy is key to team collaboration. Common strategies include: Git Flow (feature branches, release branches, hotfix branches), GitHub Flow (simplified model where all features are developed in branches then merged to main), and Trunk Based Development (all developers commit directly to trunk). Choose a strategy that fits your team size and release cadence.
FAQ
Q: What's the difference between git merge and git rebase?
A: Both integrate branches differently. Merge preserves complete branch history and creates a merge commit; rebase 'transplants' commits onto the target branch, producing linear history. Merge is safer for public branches; rebase creates cleaner history for personal branches. Remember: never rebase commits that have been pushed to public branches.
Q: How do I undo committed changes?
A: Several options exist: git revert <commit> creates a new commit to undo a specific commit (safe, recommended for public branches); git reset --soft HEAD~1 undoes the commit but keeps changes staged; git reset --hard HEAD~1 completely removes the commit and changes (dangerous, use carefully). Your choice depends on whether you need to preserve history.
Q: What's the difference between git fetch and git pull?
A: git fetch only downloads remote updates locally without automatic merging - you can review changes before deciding to merge. git pull equals git fetch + git merge, automatically merging remote changes into your current branch. When unsure about remote changes, use fetch first, review, then merge manually.
Q: How do I resolve Git merge conflicts?
A: Merge conflicts occur when two branches modify the same part of a file. Git marks conflict regions in the file (between <<<<<<< and >>>>>>>). To resolve: 1) Open the conflicting file and manually edit to keep desired content; 2) Remove conflict markers; 3) git add to mark as resolved; 4) git commit to complete the merge.