10 common git commands
Here are the 10 of the most commonly used Git commands with descriptions and examples:
git init
Initialize a new Git repository
git init initializes a new Git database and sets up the basic structure for a version control system.
For more information on initializing a repository, see this page.
git add <file>
Stage a file for commit
git add <file> adds one or more files to the index, preparing them for a future commit.
For more information on staging changes, see this page.
git add .
Stage all changes in the current directory and subdirectories
git add . adds all changes in the current directory and its subdirectories to the index, preparing them for a future commit.
For more information on staging changes, see this page.
git commit -m "<message>"
Commit changes with a meaningful message
git commit -m "<message>" creates a new commit with the specified message.
For more information on committing changes, see this page.
git log
Display a list of commits made in the repository
git log shows a brief history of changes made to the project, including timestamps and commit messages.
For more information on history logging, see this page.
git branch <branch-name>
Create a new branch with the specified name
git branch <branch-name> creates a new branch from the current head (usually master) and moves the current branch to that new branch.
For more information on branching, see this page.
git checkout <branch-name>
Switch to a different branch
git checkout <branch-name> switches to the specified branch, allowing you to work on that branch without affecting the other branches.
git merge <branch-name>
Merge changes from another branch into the current branch
git merge <branch-name> combines the changes made in one branch with those made in another branch, creating a new merge commit that contains both sets of changes.
For more information on merging branches, see this page.
git remote add <name> <url>
Add a new remote repository to the local Git repository
git remote add <name> <url> links the local repository to another Git repository, allowing you to push and pull changes between them.
For more information on remote adding, see this page.
git push <remote-name> <branch-name>
Push the current branch (or a specific set of commits) to the remote repository
git push <remote-name> <branch-name> sends changes from one repository to another, updating the central location for all collaborators working on that project.
For more information on pushing, see this page.