Git Key Concepts¶

📂 Staging & Tracking¶

Commands to manage the staging area and file tracking.

List Tracked Files¶

To see files currently tracked in the staging area:

git ls-files

Undo Staging¶

To remove a file from the staging area (unstage) without deleting modifications:

git reset HEAD <filename>

Ignore Files (.gitignore)¶

To exclude files from being tracked (e.g., build artifacts, secrets): 1. Create a file named .gitignore. 2. Add filenames, folder names, or patterns to ignore.

Example .gitignore:

node_modules/
*.log
secret.json

📜 Git History & Logs¶

Commands to view and navigate commit history.

View Commit History¶

To view a clean, concise graph of the commit history:

git log --oneline --graph --decorate

- --oneline: Condensed view (hash + message). - --graph: Visual branch tree. - --decorate: Shows tags and branch names.

View Recent History¶

Show commits from a specific timeframe:

git log --since="3 days ago"

File Specific History¶

See commits that affected a specific file:

git log -- <filename>

View Commit Details¶

See the changes introduced by a specific commit:

git show <commit-hash>

⚙️ Configuration & Aliases¶

Create Aliases¶

Create shortcuts for long commands. For example, to make git loggraph run the long log command:

git config --global alias.loggraph "log --all --oneline --graph --decorate"

Usage:

git loggraph

🚀 Advanced Concepts¶

Rebase¶

Rebasing re-applies commits on top of another base tip. It is often used to keep a clean, linear history.

Scenario: You are on feature branch and want to sync with master without creating a merge commit bubble.

git checkout feature
git rebase master

Cherry-pick¶

Apply the changes introduced by some existing commits string to the current branch.

Scenario: You want to pick a specific commit (bug fix) from feature branch into master without merging the whole branch.

git checkout master
git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

Clone Single Branch¶

To clone only a specific branch (saves time and space):

git clone --single-branch --branch <branch_name> <repository_url>

Example:

git clone --single-branch --branch release-1.3 https://github.com/rook/rook.git

🆘 Getting Help¶

To read the manual for any Git command:

git help <command>
# Example:
git help pull
git help stash

🧠 Quick Quiz — Git Concepts¶

#

Which command allows you to pick a specific commit from one branch and apply it to another?

📝 Want More Practice?¶

👉 Start Git Beginner Quiz (20 Questions)

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