1. Basic Git Workflow

• Initialize a Repository:
  • git init: Creates an empty Git repository in the current directory.
• Check Status:
  • git status: Displays the status of all files in the working directory (tracked, untracked, modified, etc.).
  • git status -s: Provides a short status with two-character codes:
    • 1st character: Status relative to the staging area:
      • A: File is staged and ready to be committed.
      • ?: Untracked file (not recognized by the repository).
    • 2nd character: Status relative to the working directory:
      • M: File is modified in the working directory.
      • (Space): No changes in the working directory.
• Stage Files:
  • git add <file name>: Adds a specific file to the staging area.
  • git add .: Adds all modified and untracked files in the current directory to the staging area.
• Commit Changes:
  • git commit -m <message>: Creates a snapshot (commit) of all files in the staging area with a descriptive message.
• View Commit History:
  • git log: Lists all commits with details (commit hash, author, date, message).
  • git log --oneline --graph --color: Displays a concise, colorful commit history with a graphical branch view.
• Compare Changes:
  • git diff: Shows differences between the latest commit and the current working directory or staging area.
• Restore Files:
  • git checkout <file name>: Reverts a file to its last committed version from the repository (useful if a file is deleted or modified).
• Soft Reset:
  • Moves changes from the staging area back to the working directory without losing any changes.

2. Git Reset

• Hard Reset:
  • git reset --hard: Discards all changes in the staging area and working directory, reverting to the last committed version.
  • Warning: Use with caution, as it permanently removes uncommitted changes.
• Remove Repository Metadata:
  • rm -rf .git: Deletes the entire .git directory, erasing all repository history and metadata.
  • Warning: This action is irreversible and removes all version control data.

3. Shared (Remote) Repository

• Types of Repositories:
  • Local: Stored on the local machine.
  • Shared/Remote: Hosted on a server (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, BitBucket).
• Connecting to a Remote Repository:
  • Create a project/repository on a remote server.
  • Link the local repository to the remote one.
• Remote Repository Commands:
  • git remote -v: Lists the URLs of connected remote repositories.
  • git remote add <server alias> <repository url>: Links a local repository to a remote one (e.g., git remote add origin <url>).
  • git push <alias> <branch name>: Uploads local commits to the specified remote branch.
  • git pull <alias> <branch name>: Downloads and integrates changes from the remote branch to the local repository.
  • git remote remove <alias>: Disconnects a remote repository from the local one.

4. Key Takeaways

• Git is a powerful version control system for tracking changes and collaborating on code.
• Core workflow: Initialize → Add → Commit → Push/Pull for remote collaboration.
• Use git status and git log frequently to monitor repository state and history.