A few git command for daily use.

A few terms need to know:

  • Local: work files in your computer (local repository).
  • Remote: work files in your remote repository.
  • Add: add current works to be saved.
  • Commit: save current work, before being pushed.
  • Pull: like download, update your local files from remote repository.
  • Push: like upload, update your remote files from local repository.
  • Branch: a duplicate to isolate your work for more safety.

Using GitHub for the first time

Clone an existing repository

  1. Download Git bash
  2. Config SSH (use ssh for best experience)
  3. Clone the repository in GitHub $ git clone <SSH address>

or, Create a new repository

$ echo "<name of repository>" >> README.md  
$ git init  
$ git add README.md  
$ git commit -m "first commit"  
$ git remote add origin <your-git-address.git>  
$ git push -u origin main

Using GitHub after the first time

Update your local

If you have updated your local and want to push, make sure to update your local first by pulling from main (remote).

To know the update on remote:
$ git fetch

then
$ git pull

then you can check the current status
$ git status

Push to remote

Let’s say you want to push your update. If you are working alone and made no other branch before, then simply add all updated files you want to add
$ git add

or to add all files
$ git add .

then save the added files with a message for information
$ git commit -m "Your message here"

then
$ git push

Tips: always do ``$ git status` for each stage is not a sin.

Push to remote with branch

If you want to create a new branch for your task before push,

$ git branch (to check the existing branch)  
$ git branch <branch_name>

this will check a branch. Then, switch to your branch if exists, and will create a new one if not
$ git checkout <branch_name>

similarly, do these

$ git add <your_files>
$ git status
$ git commit -m "Your comment for this upload."

and if this is your first time to push using this branch,
$ git push -u <yourgitaddress.git> <branch_name>

if not the first time, use this instead
$ git push origin <branch>

You can ignore to write the <branch> after the first push or if it is connected already (upstreamed).

Keep updated

Check where the remote is fetched from
$ git remote show origin

To keep updated with remote branch (including main):
$ git checkout <local branch>
$ git pull origin <branch>

or just git pull if you only have main.

Branch

To merge local branch with specific branch
$ git checkout <mylocalbranch> //checkout to mybranch
$ git merge <otherbranch> //merge someone's branch to ours

To delete branch (please checkout to another branch first)
$ git branch -D <remote or not> <branch>

To create new branch from remote branch
$ git checkout -b <your_branch> <origin/remote branch>

or
$ git checkout --track origin/daves_branch

--track is shorthand for git checkout -b <branch> <remotename>/<branch>, where <remotename> is origin in this case and <branch> is twice the same, daves_branch in this case.

Set the local branch tracks remote branch

If the branch is not checked out
$ git branch -f --track my_local_branch origin/my_remote_branch

OR (if my_local_branch is currently checked out):
$ git branch --set-upstream-to my_local_branch origin/my_remote_branch

Then pull to update local branch according to the remote $ git pull

Recovering uncommited changes ovewrote by commit

Ref: http://effectif.com/git/recovering-lost-git-commits

$ git reflog  
$ git checkout  <branch you want to change>   
$ git reset --hard <reflog ID>

Discard/ cancel local unstagged/ untracked changes
$ git stash -u

Update forked repo from original

Ref: https://gist.github.com/CristinaSolana/1885435 https://help.github.com/articles/syncing-a-fork/

$ git clone git@github.com:YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-FORKED-REPO.git  
$ cd into/cloned/fork-repo  
$ git remote add upstream git://github.com/ORIGINAL-DEV-USERNAME/REPO-YOU-FORKED-FROM.git  
$ git fetch upstream  
$ git pull upstream main

Git Submodule

If you have a git inside another git project
Ref: https://gist.github.com/gitaarik/8735255

Categories: Programming

Tags: Git, Programming