#The cheat sheet

#1 · The four areas

  working directory  --add-->  staging  --commit-->  local repo  --push-->  remote
         ^                        |                      |                     |
         |<--restore <file>-------|                      |                     |
         |<--restore --staged-----|                      |                     |
         |<---------------- reset --hard ----------------|                     |
                                                         |<------ fetch -------|

Every command is a move between two of these. When confused, ask which two.

#2 · Daily

git status                      # what state am I in            <- use constantly
git status -sb                  # compact
git add <file>                  # stage one file
git add -p                      # stage HUNK BY HUNK            <- underused
git commit -m "msg"
git commit --amend --no-edit    # fold into the last commit
git log --oneline --graph --all # see the actual shape
git diff                        # working vs staged
git diff --staged               # staged vs last commit
git push
git pull --rebase               # avoid pointless merge commits
git fetch                       # ALWAYS safe -- updates cache only

git add -p is the most underused command in git. It walks you through each change and asks whether to stage it, which is how you turn one messy working directory into three clean commits.

#3 · Branching

git switch -c feature           # create + switch      (modern)
git switch main                 # switch              (modern)
git checkout -b feature         # same thing          (older, still fine)

git branch                      # list local
git branch -vv                  # + tracking + last commit
git branch -d feature           # delete (safe: refuses if unmerged)
git branch -D feature           # delete (force)

git merge feature
git merge --no-ff feature       # force a merge commit
git rebase main
git rebase -i HEAD~4            # squash/reword/drop -- needs a real terminal
git cherry-pick <sha>

switch and restore exist because checkout did too much. checkout changed branches and restored files, which is why it was confusing. New code should use switch for branches and restore for files.

#4 · The panic table

git reflog first, panic second. Anything committed is recoverable for ~90 days. The only unrecoverable loss is work that was never committed.

#5 · Remotes

git remote -v
git remote add origin <url>
git fetch origin                       # safe: updates origin/* only
git pull                               # fetch + merge
git pull --rebase                      # fetch + rebase (cleaner history)
git push -u origin main                # push and set upstream
git push --force-with-lease            # ✅ safe force
git push --force                       # ⚠️ never
git push origin --delete old-branch

origin/main is a cache, updated only by fetch. It can be stale.

#6 · Inspecting

git log --oneline --graph --all --decorate
git log -p <file>               # history WITH diffs
git log --author="name"
git log --since="2 weeks ago"
git log -S "someString"         # commits that ADDED/REMOVED that string  <- gold
git show <sha>
git diff main..feature
git diff --stat
git blame -L 10,20 <file>

git log -S is the best debugging command in git. It finds the commit that introduced or removed a specific string — far more useful than scrolling through history when you are asking "when did this line appear?"

#7 · Config worth setting once

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

git config --global init.defaultBranch main
git config --global pull.rebase true          # no accidental merge commits
git config --global rerere.enabled true       # remember conflict resolutions
git config --global fetch.prune true          # drop deleted remote branches

# make the safe force-push easy to reach
git config --global alias.pushf "push --force-with-lease"
git config --global alias.lg "log --oneline --graph --all --decorate"
git config --global alias.st "status -sb"

On Windows, line endings cause the constant LF will be replaced by CRLF warnings:

git config --global core.autocrlf true        # Windows
git config --global core.autocrlf input       # macOS / Linux

Better still, commit a .gitattributes so the repo decides rather than each machine:

* text=auto
*.sh text eol=lf
*.png binary

#8 · GitHub / GitLab quick map

gh pr create --fill            # GitHub CLI
gh pr checkout 123
gh run list
glab mr create --fill          # GitLab CLI

#9 · The habits that prevent most trouble

[ ] git status before and after anything unfamiliar
[ ] Commit early -- uncommitted work is the ONLY unrecoverable work
[ ] Small commits, one idea each; git add -p makes this easy
[ ] Never force-push shared branches; --force-with-lease when you must
[ ] Pull before you start, not after you finish
[ ] Branch names that say what and why: fix/login-timeout
[ ] Read the merge message before hitting enter
[ ] git log --graph occasionally, so the shape stays familiar