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Git Commands 📜

Common Git Commands

This cheat-sheet lists common Git commands and also includes recommended branching strategies and useful aliases.

Command Description
git init Initialize a local Git repository
git clone <url> Clone a repository
git status Show working tree status
git add <file> Stage changes
git commit -m "msg" Commit staged changes
git branch List branches
git checkout -b <branch> Create and switch to a branch
git checkout <branch> Switch to a branch
git merge <branch> Merge a branch into the current branch
git rebase <branch> Rebase current branch onto another
git stash Save local changes temporarily
git pull Fetch + merge remote changes
git push Push changes to remote
git log --oneline --graph --decorate Compact history view

Branching strategies

  • GitFlow: Feature branches, develop branch, release branches, and main for production. Good for larger teams with releases.
  • Trunk-Based Development: Small short-lived branches or direct commits to main with feature toggles; encourages frequent integration.

Choose a strategy that matches your release cadence and team size.

Useful aliases & tips

Add these to your ~/.gitconfig to speed up workflows:

[alias]
    st = status
    co = checkout
    br = branch
    ci = commit
    lg = log --oneline --graph --decorate --all

Always pull remote changes before starting significant work, and prefer short-lived branches with CI validations on PRs.

If you want, I can add a small git-workflow.md that documents a recommended workflow (PR template, branch protections, and CI checks).