Git is a free, open-source distributed version control system created by Linus Torvalds.
It helps developers:

Learn how to write computer programs

• Track changes in their code over time
• Revert to previous versions
• Collaborate with teammates without overwriting each other’s work
• Experiment safely using branches
• Maintain a history of updates, features, and fixes

With Git, every developer has a full copy of the repository on their machine, making it fast, reliable, and able to work offline.

Learn how to use Git version control

What Git Is Used For

Git is commonly used to:

✅ 1. Save and manage project versions

Every commit records a snapshot of your project.

✅ 2. Work in branches without conflicts

Develop features independently and merge them later.

✅ 3. Collaborate on the same codebase

Multiple developers can work simultaneously without collisions.

✅ 4. Backup code on remote services

Platforms like GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket store your code online.

✅ 5. Review and audit changes

Git logs, diffs, and blame help you track who changed what — and why.

Comprehensive List of Git Commands and Their Usage

1. Configuration Commands

Command	Usage
git config --global user.name "Name"	Set your Git username
git config --global user.email "email@example.com"	Set your Git email
git config --list	Display all Git configurations
git config --global core.editor "editor"	Set default text editor
git config --global color.ui auto	Enable colored output

2. Getting Help

Command	Usage
git help <command>	Help for a command
git <command> --help	Detailed manual
git help -a	List all Git commands

3. Repository Setup

Command	Usage
git init	Initialize a new local repository
git clone <url>	Clone an existing repository

4. Basic Snapshotting (Staging & Committing)

Command	Usage
git add <file>	Stage a file
git add .	Stage all changes
git status	Show current status of the repo
git commit -m "message"	Commit staged changes
git commit -am "message"	Add & commit tracked files
git rm <file>	Remove a file and stage the deletion
git mv <old> <new>	Rename a file

5. Branching & Merging

Command	Usage
git branch	List branches
git branch <name>	Create a new branch
git branch -d <name>	Delete a branch
git checkout <branch>	Switch to a branch
git checkout -b <branch>	Create and switch to a branch
git switch <branch>	Modern way to switch branches
git switch -c <branch>	Modern way to create + switch
git merge <branch>	Merge a branch into current one
git rebase <branch>	Reapply commits on top of another branch

6. Remote Repositories

Command	Usage
git remote	List remotes
git remote -v	List remote URLs
git remote add origin <url>	Connect local repo to remote
git remote remove <name>	Remove a remote
git fetch	Download changes without merging
git pull	Fetch + merge changes
git pull --rebase	Fetch + rebase
git push	Upload commits to remote
git push -u origin <branch>	Push branch and set upstream

🔵 7. Inspecting Changes

Command	Usage
git log	Show commit history
git log --oneline	Short commit history
git log --graph --oneline	Visual commit tree
git diff	Show unstaged changes
git diff --staged	Show staged changes
git show <commit>	Show specific commit details

8. Undoing Changes

Command	Usage
git restore <file>	Undo unstaged changes
git restore --staged <file>	Unstage a file
git reset <file>	Unstage a file (older method)
git reset --hard	Reset working directory + history
git revert <commit>	Create new commit that undoes previous one
git checkout <commit>	View past version (detached HEAD)

9. Stashing Work

Command	Usage
git stash	Temporarily save uncommitted changes
git stash apply	Reapply latest stash
git stash list	Show all stashes
git stash drop	Delete a stash
git stash pop	Apply + delete stash

10. Tagging Versions

Command	Usage
git tag	List tags
git tag <name>	Create a lightweight tag
git tag -a <name> -m "message"	Create annotated tag
git push --tags	Push tags to remote

11. Git Ignore

Command	Usage
.gitignore	File that tells Git what to ignore
git rm -r --cached .	Reapply .gitignore to tracked files

12. Collaboration / Fixing Conflicts

Command	Usage
Manual editing	Resolve merge conflicts
git mergetool	Use merge tool
git rebase --continue	Continue after conflict fix
git rebase --abort	Abort rebase

13. Advanced Tools

Command	Usage
git cherry-pick <commit>	Apply specific commit onto another branch
git bisect	Find bug-causing commit via binary search
git blame <file>	Show who edited each line
git clean -f	Remove untracked files
git fsck	Verify repo integrity
git gc	Clean up unnecessary files

14. Git Submodules

Command	Usage
git submodule add <url>	Add a submodule
git submodule update	Update submodules
git submodule init	Initialize submodules

15. Aliases

Command	Usage
git config --global alias.st status	Create git st alias
git config --global alias.cm "commit -m"	Shortcut for commits