PowerShell Wednesday Git 101

This article provides a concise reference guide for essential Git commands, covering repository initialization, file tracking, committing, and remote setup. It also explains branching operations, including creation, switching, and deletion, as well as how to fetch and pull changes from a remote repository. Additionally, the guide clarifies that a Pull Request (PR) is functionally a "Merge Request," as used by platforms like GitLab.

Initialize a Git directory as a repository. git init Track files with Git A.K.A. Git now knows and cares about these files git add <filename or add everything in the folder git add . Commit staged files to the repository history. git commit -m "your message here" or interactive commit message git commit Set up a remote repository e.g. GitHub, GitLab, etc. Most SCM providers will give you the command git remote add origin <url View current remotes: git remote -v Push commits to a remote repository. git push Push and set the upstream tracking reference first push of a branch : git push -u origin <branch-name After -u is set once, future pushes from that branch only need: git push Create a new branch: git branch <branch-name Switch to an existing branch: git checkout <branch-name or newer syntax : git switch <branch-name Create and switch in one step: git checkout -b <branch-name or newer syntax : git switch -c <branch-name List Branches: git branch Remove a branch: git branch -d <branch-name Fetch any branches from origin to your local working copy: git fetch Pull any upstream changes into your working copy: git pull Check out a specific commit detached HEAD state — you're looking, not working : git checkout <commit-hash Check out a specific branch: git checkout <branch-name Set user and email git config --global user.name "Your Name" git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com" Set your commit editor git config --global core.editor "nvim" Think of a Pull Request PR more as a "Merge Request". Some SCM platforms like Gitlab specifically call them MRs.