Git cheatsheet

What is a Git Memo?

Git is the version control system used by almost every software team. Most daily work needs only a couple of dozen commands, but the ones you need for fixing mistakes are easy to forget. This cheat sheet groups the essential commands by task, with short explanations.

Setup

git config --global user.name 'Your Name' and user.email set your identity.
git init creates a repository; git clone URL copies one.

Everyday workflow

git status shows changed and staged files.
git add -p stages changes hunk by hunk.
git commit -m 'message' records a snapshot.
git pull --rebase fetches and replays your work on top of the remote.
git push -u origin feature-x publishes a new branch.

Branches

git switch -c feature-x creates and switches to a branch.
git merge main merges main into the current branch.
git rebase main replays your commits on top of main for a linear history.
git branch -d feature-x deletes a merged branch.

Undoing things

git restore file discards unstaged changes to a file.
git restore --staged file unstages it.
git commit --amend edits the last commit (only before pushing).
git revert COMMIT creates a new commit that undoes an old one; safe on shared branches.
git reset --soft HEAD~1 undoes the last commit but keeps the changes staged.
git reflog lists where HEAD has been, so you can recover lost commits.

Stash and inspect

git stash and git stash pop shelve and restore work in progress.
git log --oneline --graph shows compact history.
git diff --staged shows what will be committed.

A word on force pushing

Use git push --force-with-lease instead of --force. It refuses to overwrite remote commits you have not seen.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I undo the last commit but keep my changes?

Use git reset --soft HEAD~1. The commit is removed and the changes stay staged.

What is the difference between merge and rebase?

Merge combines histories with a merge commit. Rebase replays your commits on top of another branch for a linear history.

How do I recover a deleted commit?

Run git reflog to find the commit hash, then create a branch at it or reset to it.

Why use force-with-lease instead of force?

It only overwrites the remote branch if nobody else has pushed to it since your last fetch.