Basic Git Commands

To use Git, developers use specific commands to copy, create, change, and combine code. Some of the most important and most used commands in git are:

git init: Initializes a brand new Git repository and begins tracking an existing directory. It adds a hidden subfolder within the existing directory that houses the internal data structure required for version control.
git clone: Creates a local copy of a project that already exists remotely. The clone includes all the project’s files, history, and branches.
git add: Snapshots the file in preparation for versioning, adding it to the staging area.
git commit: Records file snapshots permanently in version history.
git status: Shows the status of changes as untracked, modified, or staged.
git branch: Shows the branches being worked on locally.
git checkout: Switches to the specified branch and updates the working directory.
git merge: Merges lines of development together. This command is typically used to combine changes made on two distinct branches.
git pull: Updates the local line of development with updates from its remote counterpart. Developers use this command if a teammate has made commits to a branch on a remote, and they would like to reflect those changes in their local environment.
git push: Updates the remote repository with any commits made locally to a branch.
git remote -v: Show the associated remote repositories and their stored name.
git tag: Tag specific points in a repository’s history.