Essential Git Commands

10 Essential Git Commands Every Developer Must Know: Complete Cheat Sheet with Branching, Merging, and Remote Workflows

Master Git with this complete guide to 10 essential commands including init, clone, commit, branch, merge, rebase, and remote operations. Perfect for beginners and reference.

Git is the backbone of modern version control. Whether you're a beginner or need a refresher, these 10 commands will cover 90% of your daily needs.

1. git init

Initialize a new Git repository in your project folder.

git init

2. git clone

Copy an existing repository from GitHub or another remote.

git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git

3. git add

Stage changes for commit. Use . to stage all.

git add filename.py
git add .

4. git commit

Save staged changes with a message.

git commit -m "Add login feature"

5. git status

See which files are staged, modified, or untracked.

git status

6. git log

View commit history. Add --oneline for compact view.

git log --oneline

7. git branch

List branches, create new ones, or delete.

git branch           # list
git branch feature   # create
git branch -d feature # delete

8. git checkout / git switch

Switch branches or restore files.

git checkout main
# or newer syntax:
git switch main

9. git merge

Combine changes from one branch into another.

git checkout main
git merge feature

10. git pull & git push

Sync with remote repository.

git pull origin main
git push origin main

Practice these commands daily and version control will become second nature.

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