Git Commands Cheat Sheet

24 Nov 2021 - Tyler

Aliases

  • Create global alias (where name is name of your alias and command is the command you want to replace)
    $ git config --global alias.NAME "COMMAND"

Branches

  • Check local branches
    $ git branch

  • Create new branch
    $ git branch new-branch
  • Switch to new branch
    $ git checkout new-branch

  • Create and Switch to new branch in one command
    $ git checkout -b new-branch

  • To merge changes made in new-branch into main first change to main
    $ git checkout main

  • Then merge
    $ git merge new-branch

  • Once everything is checked and running fine, delete the branch
    $ git branch -d new-branch

Contributing to a Project

  • Fork the repository you want to contribute to

  • Clone the fork to your local machine
    $ git clone URL_of_fork

    i.e. $ git clone https://github.com/YOURNAME/first-contributions.git

  • cd into new directory

  • Add url of the original project as the upstream repository
    $ git remote add upstream URL_of_project

    i.e. $ git remote add upstream https://github.com/firstcontributions/first-contributions.git

    $ git remote -v shows your remote repositories

  • Pull from upstream master to sync your local
    $ git pull upstream master

  • Create new local branch (best not to work on master/main)
    $ git checkout -b NEWBRANCH

    $ git branch will show your local branches

  • Make your changes

  • Add your changes
    $ git add -A

  • Commit changes, be descriptive. Use current tense, not past. (Add, not added)
    $ git commit -m 'describe what you did'

  • Push to your fork
    $ git push origin NEWBRANCH

  • Go to fork on Github, refresh, should be pull request button. Click and fill it out.