Initialization & Setup
git init
Initialize a new local repository in the project folder.
Viewing Changes & History
git log
Show the commit history of the repository. Example output:
commit a1b2c3d4e5f67890123456789abcdef12345678
Your Name <youremail@example.com>
Date: Sat Dec 14 08:30:00 2025 +0300
commit a1b2c3d4... → This is the commit's unique identifier (hash).
Author → The name and email of the person who made the commit.
Date → When the commit was created.
Message → The commit message describing the changes.
git log --oneline
Show a summarized commit history (IDs and messages only).
git log -n 5
Show a specific number (e.g., the last 5) of the most recent commits.
git checkout <id>
Switch to a specific commit or branch (used to view old versions of the code).
git diff
Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc.
Branch Management
git branch
List all local branches in your repository. The current branch is marked with an asterisk (*).
git branch <branch-name>
Create a new branch with the specified name, but don't switch to it.
git checkout <branch>
Switch to an existing branch, updating the working directory to match the branch.
git checkout -b <branch>
Create and switch to a new branch in one command.
git branch -m <new-name>
Rename the current branch to a new name.
git branch -d <branch-name>
Delete a local branch (only if it has been merged).
git branch -D <branch-name>
Force delete a local branch (even if it contains unmerged changes).
git merge <branch>
Merge the specified branch into the current branch.
Undoing Changes
git rm <file>
Remove a file from the repository and your local system.
git rm --cached <file>
Remove a file from the staging area only (keep it on your local system).
Git Configuration
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
Set your Git username for all repositories on your computer.
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
Set your Git email for all repositories on your computer.
git config user.name
Display your current Git username configuration.
git config user.email
Display your current Git email configuration.
GitHub Repository Setup
git branch -M main
Rename the current branch to 'main' (if you're using a different branch name)
git remote add origin https://github.com/username/repo.git
Connect your local repository to a GitHub repository (replace with your GitHub repository URL)
git push -u origin main
Push your local commits to the remote repository and set up tracking
Modifying and Uploading an Existing Project on GitHub
git add .
Adds all changes to the staging area.
Prepares all modified or new files for the next commit.
git commit -m "message"
Creates a new commit with the added changes (replace "message" with your description).
A commit is a historical reference snapshot of your project's changes.
git push
Uploads local commits to the remote repository (GitHub).
Makes your changes available online.
Terminal Commands
clear
Clear the terminal screen.