🐙 Git Cheat Sheet

Essential git commands for macOS. Pro-level shortcuts and workflows.

🔍
⚙ī¸ Setup & Config
Set global username
Configure your identity for all repos
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
Set global email
git config --global user.email "you@email.com"
Set default branch name
Use 'main' instead of 'master'
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
View all config
git config --global --list
Set VS Code as default editor
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"
Enable colored output
git config --global color.ui auto
đŸ“Ļ Basics
Initialize a repo
git init
Clone a repo
git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git
git clone git@github.com:user/repo.git   # SSH
Check status
git status
git status -s    # short format
Stage files
git add file.txt        # single file
git add .               # all changes
git add -p              # interactive patch staging
Commit
git commit -m "feat: add login screen"
git commit -am "fix: update model"   # stage + commit tracked files
git commit --amend --no-edit          # amend last commit (keep message)
Unstage a file
git restore --staged file.txt
Discard working tree changes
git restore file.txt      # discard file changes
git restore .             # discard all changes
Show diff
git diff                  # unstaged changes
git diff --staged         # staged changes
git diff main..feature    # between branches
đŸŒŋ Branching
List branches
git branch          # local
git branch -r       # remote
git branch -a       # all
Create & switch branch
git switch -c feature/login      # recommended
git checkout -b feature/login    # older style
Switch branch
git switch main
git checkout main    # older style
Merge branch into current
git merge feature/login
git merge --no-ff feature/login    # always create merge commit
git merge --squash feature/login   # squash all commits into one
Delete branch
git branch -d feature/login    # safe delete
git branch -D feature/login    # force delete
Rename branch
git branch -m old-name new-name
🌐 Remote
Show remotes
git remote -v
Add remote
git remote add origin https://github.com/user/repo.git
Push
git push origin main
git push -u origin feature/login    # set upstream
git push --force-with-lease          # safer force push
Pull
git pull
git pull --rebase           # pull with rebase instead of merge
git pull origin main        # explicit
Fetch
git fetch origin
git fetch --prune    # fetch + remove deleted remote branches
Delete remote branch
git push origin --delete feature/login
Track remote branch
git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/main main
📜 History & Log
View log
git log
git log --oneline
git log --oneline --graph --all    # pretty branch graph
Search commits
git log --grep="login"           # by message
git log -S "functionName"         # by code change
git log --author="Feem"           # by author
Show commit details
git show abc1234
git show HEAD~1              # one before latest
Who changed this line?
git blame file.txt
git blame -L 10,20 file.txt    # lines 10–20
Pretty log alias
git log --oneline --graph --decorate --all
đŸ“Ļ Stash
Stash changes
git stash
git stash push -m "WIP: login screen"    # with message
git stash -u                              # include untracked
List stashes
git stash list
Apply stash
git stash pop             # apply and remove top stash
git stash apply stash@{1} # apply specific stash (keep it)
Drop stash
git stash drop stash@{0}
git stash clear    # remove all stashes
↩ī¸ Reset & Undo
Undo last commit (keep changes staged)
git reset --soft HEAD~1
Undo last commit (keep changes unstaged)
git reset HEAD~1    # --mixed is default
Undo last commit (discard all changes)
⚠ī¸ Destructive — cannot undo
git reset --hard HEAD~1
Revert a commit (safe — creates new commit)
git revert abc1234
git revert HEAD    # revert latest commit
Cherry pick a commit
git cherry-pick abc1234
git cherry-pick abc1234 def5678    # multiple
🔀 Rebase
Rebase onto main
git rebase main
Interactive rebase (squash, edit commits)
git rebase -i HEAD~3    # last 3 commits
# s = squash, r = reword, d = drop, e = edit
Continue / abort rebase
git rebase --continue
git rebase --abort
🏷ī¸ Tags
Create tag
git tag v1.0.0
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release 1.0.0"    # annotated
List & push tags
git tag
git push origin v1.0.0
git push origin --tags    # push all tags
Delete tag
git tag -d v1.0.0
git push origin --delete v1.0.0    # remote
⚡ Useful Aliases
Add useful global aliases
git config --global alias.st  "status -s"
git config --global alias.co  "checkout"
git config --global alias.br  "branch"
git config --global alias.lg  "log --oneline --graph --all --decorate"
git config --global alias.undo "reset HEAD~1"
git config --global alias.save "!git add -A && git commit -m 'WIP'"
Use alias
git lg
git st
git undo
🔄 Common Workflows
Feature branch workflow
# 1. Create feature branch from main
git switch main && git pull
git switch -c feature/my-feature

# 2. Work, commit
git add . && git commit -m "feat: ..."

# 3. Push for review
git push -u origin feature/my-feature

# 4. After merge, clean up
git switch main
git pull
git branch -d feature/my-feature
Conventional commit messages
feat:     new feature
fix:      bug fix
refactor: code change (no feat/fix)
docs:     documentation
style:    formatting
test:     adding tests
chore:    build process, tooling
Clean up merged branches
# Delete local branches already merged to main
git branch --merged main | grep -v "main" | xargs git branch -d

# Prune stale remote tracking branches
git remote prune origin