Git Commands I Use Every Day

I've been using Git for over a decade. Here are the commands that actually matter for daily work.

The Essentials

Check What's Going On

git status
git log --oneline -10
git diff

I run `git status` probably 50 times a day.

Make Commits

git add .
git commit -m "feat: add user authentication"

Or, add and commit in one:

git commit -am "fix: resolve null pointer"

(Only works for tracked files)

Branching

git checkout -b feature/new-thing
git checkout main
git branch -d feature/old-thing

Stay Up to Date

git pull origin main
git fetch --all

Intermediate Moves

Stash

Working on something but need to switch branches?

git stash
git checkout other-branch
# do stuff
git checkout original-branch
git stash pop

Interactive Rebase

Clean up commits before merging:

git rebase -i HEAD~5

Then squash, reword, or reorder commits.

Amend Last Commit

Forgot something?

git add forgotten-file.js
git commit --amend --no-edit

Reset

Undo commits (carefully!):

# Soft: keep changes staged
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Mixed: keep changes unstaged
git reset HEAD~1

# Hard: discard changes (careful!)
git reset --hard HEAD~1

Useful Aliases

In `~/.gitconfig`:

[alias]
  s = status
  co = checkout
  br = branch
  cm = commit -m
  last = log -1 HEAD
  undo = reset HEAD~1 --mixed
  graph = log --oneline --graph --all

Tips

• **Commit often** - Small commits are easier to revert
• **Write good messages** - Future you will thank present you
• **Pull before push** - Avoid merge conflicts
• **Use branches** - Never commit directly to main

Git is one of those tools that rewards investment. Learn it well.

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