useful but easily forgotten git commands

git.md

add: Add file contents to the index

• Stage files with confirmation (commit only part of a file)
  • git add --patch (git add -p)

branch: List, create, or delete branches

• Delete local branch if it has already been fully merged in its upstream branch
  • git branch -d <branch_name>
• Delete local branch, irrespective of its merged status
  • git branch -D <branch_name>

checkout: Switch branches or restore working tree files

• Bringing files from another branch or commit to current branch
  • git checkout <commit_hash> <relative_path_to_file_or_dir>
  • git checkout <remote_name>/<branch_name> <file_or_dir>

push: Update remote refs

• Delete remote branch
  • git push <remote_name> --delete <branch_name>
    • git push origin --delete <branch_name>

reset: Reset current HEAD to the specified state

• Reset local repository branch to be just like remote repository HEAD
  • git fetch origin; git reset --hard origin/<branch>
• Undo staging (git add <filename>)
  • git reset <filename>
• Undo all staged files
  • git reset
• Undo last local commit
  • While preserving local changes: git reset --soft HEAD~1
  • Without preserving local changes: git reset --hard HEAD~1

rebase: Reapply commits on top of another base tip

• Combining/squashing multiple commits into one (change pick to squash for the commits you want to squash)
  • git rebase -i HEAD~<numbers of commits to look back>
  • git rebase -i
• Rebase changes in branch 2 on top of main branch (for smooth PR)
  • git rebase main

rm: remove file(s) from working tree and index

• Stop tracking a file
  • git rm --cached <file>
• Stop tracking a folder
  • git rm -r --cached <folder>

show: Show various types of objects (blobs, trees, tags, and commits)

• Look at file in a different branch while staying in current branch
  • git show <branch_name>:</path/to/file>
  • git show <branch_name>:</path/to/file> | vim -
• Show what was changed in a commit
  • git show <COMMIT_HASH>

switch: switch to the specified branch

• Undo changes and return to previous branch. Useful if you are experimenting in detached state
  • git switch -
• Keep changes you made in detached state and create a branch for it
  • git switch -c <new branch name>

rev-parse: pick out and massage parameters

• Get current commit hash
  • git rev-parse HEAD