Git Command Line Workflow - Complete Guide

# Configure Git user
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

# Initialize new repository
git init

# Clone existing repository
git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git
git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git my-project

# Clone specific branch
git clone -b feature-branch https://github.com/user/repo.git

# Clone with depth (shallow clone)
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/user/repo.git

# Add remote repository
git remote add origin https://github.com/user/repo.git

# List remotes
git remote -v

# Change remote URL
git remote set-url origin https://github.com/user/new-repo.git

# Check repository status
git status

# Add files to staging
git add file.txt
git add .                    # Add all files
git add *.js                 # Add all JS files
git add -A                   # Add all changes

# Commit changes
git commit -m "Add new feature"
git commit -am "Quick commit" # Add and commit modified files

# Push to remote
git push origin main
git push -u origin main      # Set upstream branch

# Pull latest changes
git pull origin main
git pull --rebase origin main

# Fetch without merging
git fetch origin

# List branches
git branch                   # Local branches
git branch -r               # Remote branches
git branch -a               # All branches

# Create and switch to branch
git checkout -b feature/new-feature
git switch -c feature/new-feature  # Newer syntax

# Switch between branches
git checkout main
git switch main             # Newer syntax

# Delete branches
git branch -d feature-branch
git branch -D feature-branch # Force delete

# Delete remote branch
git push origin --delete feature-branch

# Rename branch
git branch -m old-name new-name

# Track remote branch
git checkout -b local-branch origin/remote-branch

# Initialize Git Flow
git flow init

# Start feature
git flow feature start new-feature

# Finish feature
git flow feature finish new-feature

# Start release
git flow release start 1.0.0

# Finish release
git flow release finish 1.0.0

# Start hotfix
git flow hotfix start bug-fix

# Finish hotfix
git flow hotfix finish bug-fix

# Manual Git Flow workflow
# Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/user-authentication
# Work on feature...
git add .
git commit -m "Add user authentication"
git push origin feature/user-authentication
# Create pull request
# Merge to develop branch

# Rebase current branch onto main
git rebase main

# Interactive rebase (last 3 commits)
git rebase -i HEAD~3

# Interactive rebase (from specific commit)
git rebase -i abc1234

# Continue rebase after resolving conflicts
git rebase --continue

# Abort rebase
git rebase --abort

# Skip current commit during rebase
git rebase --skip

# Rebase with strategy
git rebase -X theirs main
git rebase -X ours main

# Rebase onto different branch
git rebase --onto main feature-branch feature-branch~2

# Stash current changes
git stash

# Stash with message
git stash push -m "Work in progress"

# Stash specific files
git stash push -m "Partial work" file1.txt file2.txt

# List stashes
git stash list

# Apply stash
git stash apply
git stash apply stash@{0}

# Pop stash (apply and remove)
git stash pop
git stash pop stash@{0}

# Show stash contents
git stash show stash@{0}

# Show stash diff
git stash show -p stash@{0}

# Drop stash
git stash drop stash@{0}

# Clear all stashes
git stash clear

# Basic log
git log

# One-line log
git log --oneline

# Graph log
git log --graph --oneline --all

# Log with file changes
git log --stat

# Log with patches
git log -p

# Log specific file
git log -- file.txt

# Log between commits
git log abc1234..def5678

# Log since date
git log --since="2024-01-01"

# Log until date
git log --until="2024-12-31"

# Log by author
git log --author="John Doe"

# Log with custom format
git log --pretty=format:"%h - %an, %ar : %s"

# Log with decorations
git log --decorate --graph --oneline

# Working directory vs staging
git diff

# Staging vs last commit
git diff --staged
git diff --cached

# Working directory vs last commit
git diff HEAD

# Compare commits
git diff abc1234 def5678

# Compare branches
git diff main..feature-branch

# Compare with remote
git diff origin/main

# Diff specific file
git diff -- file.txt

# Diff with word-level changes
git diff --word-diff

# Diff with ignore whitespace
git diff -w

# Diff with context lines
git diff -U5

# Soft reset (keep changes in staging)
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Mixed reset (keep changes in working directory)
git reset HEAD~1
git reset --mixed HEAD~1

# Hard reset (discard all changes)
git reset --hard HEAD~1

# Reset to specific commit
git reset --hard abc1234

# Reset specific file
git reset HEAD file.txt

# Reset to remote branch
git reset --hard origin/main

# Reset and keep changes
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Unstage all files
git reset HEAD .

# Revert last commit
git revert HEAD

# Revert specific commit
git revert abc1234

# Revert without creating commit
git revert --no-commit abc1234

# Revert merge commit
git revert -m 1 abc1234

# Revert multiple commits
git revert abc1234 def5678

# Revert with custom message
git revert -m "Revert problematic feature" abc1234

# Merge branch into current branch
git merge feature-branch

# Merge with no fast-forward
git merge --no-ff feature-branch

# Merge with squash
git merge --squash feature-branch

# Merge with custom message
git merge -m "Merge feature branch" feature-branch

# Abort merge
git merge --abort

# Cherry-pick commit
git cherry-pick abc1234

# Cherry-pick multiple commits
git cherry-pick abc1234 def5678

# Cherry-pick range
git cherry-pick abc1234..def5678

# Cherry-pick without commit
git cherry-pick --no-commit abc1234

# Check for conflicts
git status

# List conflicted files
git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U

# Resolve conflicts manually
# Edit conflicted files
# Remove conflict markers
# Stage resolved files
git add resolved-file.txt

# Continue merge/rebase
git commit
git rebase --continue

# Use merge tool
git mergetool

# Accept all changes from one side
git checkout --ours file.txt    # Keep current branch changes
git checkout --theirs file.txt  # Keep incoming changes

# Abort merge/rebase
git merge --abort
git rebase --abort

# Pre-commit hook
#!/bin/bash
# .git/hooks/pre-commit
echo "Running pre-commit checks..."

# Run linter
npm run lint

# Run tests
npm test

# Check for TODO comments
if git diff --cached --name-only | xargs grep -l "TODO\|FIXME"; then
    echo "Warning: Found TODO/FIXME comments"
fi

# Pre-push hook
#!/bin/bash
# .git/hooks/pre-push
echo "Running pre-push checks..."

# Run full test suite
npm run test:full

# Check branch naming
current_branch=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
if [[ ! $current_branch =~ ^(feature|bugfix|hotfix)/ ]]; then
    echo "Error: Branch name must start with feature/, bugfix/, or hotfix/"
    exit 1
fi

# Post-commit hook
#!/bin/bash
# .git/hooks/post-commit
echo "Commit completed: $(git log -1 --pretty=format:'%h - %s')"

# Add to ~/.gitconfig

[alias]
    # Basic shortcuts
    st = status
    co = checkout
    br = branch
    ci = commit
    unstage = reset HEAD --
    last = log -1 HEAD
    visual = !gitk

    # Enhanced commands
    lg = log --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset' --abbrev-commit
    ll = log --oneline --graph --decorate --all
    ls = log --stat
    lp = log -p

    # Branch management
    bd = branch -d
    bD = branch -D
    bm = branch -m
    ba = branch -a

    # Stash shortcuts
    save = stash push
    pop = stash pop
    list = stash list

    # Reset shortcuts
    uncommit = reset --soft HEAD~1
    unstage = reset HEAD --

    # Merge shortcuts
    mff = merge --ff-only
    mnf = merge --no-ff

    # Custom workflows
    cleanup = "!git branch --merged | grep -v '\\*\\|main\\|develop' | xargs -n 1 git branch -d"
    undo = reset HEAD~1
    amend = commit --amend --no-edit

# Good commit messages
git commit -m "Add user authentication feature"
git commit -m "Fix memory leak in data processing"
git commit -m "Update documentation for API changes"

# Bad commit messages
git commit -m "fix"
git commit -m "updates"
git commit -m "WIP"

# Commit message format
# (): 
# 
# 
# 
# 

# Feature branches
feature/user-authentication
feature/payment-integration
feature/dashboard-redesign

# Bug fix branches
bugfix/login-error
bugfix/memory-leak
bugfix/api-timeout

# Hotfix branches
hotfix/security-patch
hotfix/critical-bug

# Release branches
release/v1.2.0
release/v2.0.0

# Development branches
develop
main
master

# Personal branches
john/feature-branch
jane/bugfix-branch

# Issue-based branches
issue-123/fix-login-bug
issue-456/add-new-feature

# Recover deleted commits
git reflog
git checkout abc1234
git checkout -b recovered-branch

# Recover deleted files
git checkout HEAD -- deleted-file.txt

# Fix detached HEAD
git checkout -b new-branch-name

# Clean working directory
git clean -fd
git clean -fdx  # Include ignored files

# Fix corrupted repository
git fsck
git gc --prune=now

# Reset to remote state
git fetch origin
git reset --hard origin/main

# Fix merge conflicts
git status
git diff
# Edit conflicted files
git add resolved-files
git commit

# Fix rebase conflicts
git status
git diff
# Edit conflicted files
git add resolved-files
git rebase --continue

# Recover from bad rebase
git reflog
git reset --hard HEAD@{2}