api: YAML JSON TOON Database
version: 1.0.0
format: json
dataset:
  slug: git-essential-commands
  title: Git Essential Commands
  description: Common Git commands for everyday version control workflows.
  summary: "Essential git commands with a one-line description: init, clone, add, commit, push, pull, branch, checkout, merge, rebase, stash, log, diff, reset and cherry-pick, extended with status, fetch, restore, switch, tag, blame, bisect, revert, reflog, worktrees and configuration."
  use_when[2]: You need the right git command for a task.,You are teaching or learning git from the command line.
  caveats[2]: "Some commands rewrite history (rebase, reset --hard, commit --amend); do not use them on commits others have pulled.","Newer commands (switch, restore) are clearer than checkout and reset for those tasks."
  related[6]: version-control-workflows,cicd-pipeline-stages,file-operations,shell-scripting-guide,git-recovery-workflows,shell-safe-file-patterns
  category: Unix Commands
  category_slug: unix-commands
  tags: "unix,git,version-control,vcs"
  view_count: 0
  sources[1]{title,url}:
    Git restore and recovery documentation,"https://git-scm.com/docs/git-restore"
  reading[1]: recover-git-work-without-losing-local-changes
  reviewed_at: 2026-10-12
  updated_at: 1791799373
  provenance: "Original editorial reference notes by YJTOON, informed by the linked primary documentation. External specifications retain their own licenses."
  entry_count: 36
  fields[2]{section,field,type,example}:
    data,command,string,git init
    data,description,string,Initialize a new Git repository in the current …
data[36]{command,description}:
  git init,Initialize a new Git repository in the current directory.
  git clone <url>,Clone a remote repository to your local machine.
  git add <file>,Stage changes for the next commit. Use git add . for all.
  "git commit -m \"msg\"",Commit staged changes with a descriptive message.
  git push,Upload local commits to the remote repository.
  git pull,Fetch and merge changes from the remote branch.
  git branch -a,List all local and remote branches.
  git checkout <branch>,Switch to the specified branch. Use -b to create and switch.
  git merge <branch>,Merge the specified branch into the current branch.
  git rebase <branch>,Reapply commits on top of another branch. Use with caution on public branches.
  git stash,Temporarily store uncommitted changes. Use git stash pop to restore.
  git log --oneline -10,Show the last 10 commits in compact format.
  git diff,Show unstaged changes. Use git diff --staged for staged changes.
  git reset --soft HEAD~1,"Undo the last commit, keeping changes staged."
  git cherry-pick <hash>,Apply a specific commit by hash onto the current branch.
  git status,"Show changed, staged and untracked files."
  git fetch,Download remote changes without merging them.
  git restore <file>,Discard working-tree changes to a file; use --staged to unstage.
  git switch -c <branch>,Create a new branch and switch to it.
  git diff --staged,Show changes that are staged for the next commit.
  git commit --amend,Modify the most recent commit; avoid after pushing.
  git stash pop,Reapply the most recent stash and remove it from the stash list.
  git revert <hash>,Create a new commit that undoes an earlier one without rewriting history.
  git log --graph --oneline --all,Show a compact graph of all branches.
  git blame <file>,Show who last changed each line of a file.
  git bisect start,Begin a binary search through history to find the commit that introduced a bug.
  "git tag -a v1.0 -m \"msg\"",Create an annotated tag for a release.
  git reflog,"List where HEAD has been, useful for recovering lost commits."
  git branch -d <branch>,Delete a branch that has been merged.
  git remote -v,List remotes and their URLs.
  git worktree add <path> <branch>,Check out another branch in a separate directory.
  "git config --global user.name \"Name\"",Set the author name used for commits.
  git restore --staged -- path,Unstage a path while retaining its working-tree contents. Add -- before a path that could be read as an option.
  git diff --check,Find conflict markers and whitespace errors in the current diff before committing.
  git log --all -- path,"Inspect commits touching a path across all refs, without changing files."
  "git stash show -p stash@{0}",Inspect the latest stash patch before deciding whether to apply it.