Git Quick Ref

Git Quick Reference¶

The commands that cover 95% of this course.

# --- Where am I? Ask constantly. ---
git status
git log --oneline --graph --all
git branch -a

# --- The daily loop ---
git switch main && git pull
git switch -c week-NN-pattern
git add <files>
git commit -m "feat: ..."
git push -u origin week-NN-pattern     # first time
git push                                # after that

# --- Undo, gentlest to harshest ---
git restore <file>              # discard unstaged edits to a file
git restore --staged <file>     # unstage, keep the edit
git commit --amend              # fix the last UNPUSHED commit
git revert <hash>               # new commit undoing an old one (SAFE)
git reset --hard <hash>         # ⚠️ rewrite history, discard changes
git reflog                      # find "lost" commits — the safety net

The panic table¶

Situation	Command	Danger
Wrong file edited, not staged	`git restore <file>`	loses that edit
Staged by mistake	`git restore --staged <file>`	safe
Bad message (not pushed)	`git commit --amend -m "..."`	safe if unpushed
Committed to `main` by mistake	`git switch -c rescue`, then reset main	safe
Committed build output	`git rm -r --cached <dir>` + `.gitignore`	safe
Merge conflict	edit markers → `git add` → `git commit`	safe
Want out of a merge	`git merge --abort`	safe
Undo a pushed commit	`git revert <hash>`	safe — prefer this
“I lost commits”	`git reflog`	safe

One rule above all: if the work is committed anywhere, it’s recoverable. git reflog will find it. The only work Git can’t save is work you never committed — which is the real argument for committing often.