Getting Started

Basic Commands

Master the essential Git workflow: init, add, commit, status, and log.

The Basic Git Workflow

  1. Modify files in your working directory
  2. Stage changes with git add
  3. Commit staged changes with git commit

The Three States

  • Modified: Changes made but not staged
  • Staged: Changes marked for next commit
  • Committed: Changes saved to the repository

Useful Commands

  • git init — create a new repository
  • git status — see what's changed
  • git add — stage changes
  • git commit — save a snapshot
  • git log — view commit history
  • git diff — see changes in detail

Example

bash
# Create a new repository
mkdir my-project
cd my-project
git init

# Check repository status
git status

# Create a file
echo "Hello, Git!" > README.md

# Stage the file
git add README.md
# Stage all changes
git add .
# Stage specific changes interactively
git add -p

# Commit staged changes
git commit -m "Initial commit: Add README"

# Shortcut: stage and commit tracked files
git commit -am "Update README"

# View commit history
git log
git log --oneline  # compact view
git log --oneline --graph --all  # visual branch graph

# See what changed
git diff                # unstaged changes
git diff --staged       # staged changes (not yet committed)
git diff HEAD~1..HEAD   # between last two commits

# Undo changes
git restore README.md          # discard unstaged changes
git restore --staged README.md # unstage a file
git reset HEAD~1               # undo last commit (keep changes staged)
git reset --hard HEAD~1        # undo last commit (discard changes!)
Try it yourself — BASH