Quickstart: Git

Introduction

  • A distributed revision control system
  • Doesn’t require a central server to work
  • Download at: http://git-scm.com/
  • Command line tutorial below, execute code blocks in sequence
  • Lines starting with # are command line outputs or notes
  • Available on GitHub CornerGeeks/test-git

Configuration

git config --global user.name "John Doe"
git config --global user.email johndoe@example.com
git config --list

# user.name=John Doe
# user.email=johndoe@example.com
# -- other config

git config user.name

# John Doe
  • user.name and user.email is what is recorded in commit logs

Initialise

Go to a folder in command line and initialise it as a git repository

git init

# # Initialized empty Git repository in /Users/user/test_git/.git/

See current status and branch

git status

# # On branch master
# #
# # Initial commit
# #
# nothing to commit (create/copy files and use "git add" to track)    

Will show current branch and status of files in the folder

Save (Commit) files into the Repo

  • Create a file & add it to the staging area
    touch README
    git add README
  • See current status
    git status
    
    # # On branch master
    # #
    # # Initial commit
    # #
    # # Changes to be committed:
    # #   (use "git rm --cached <file>..." to unstage)
    # #
    # #    new file:   a
    # #
  • Commit the file
    git commit -m "Added README (C1)"
    
    # [master (root-commit) 93ecaa8] Added README (C1)
    #  1 file changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
    #  create mode 100644 README
  • Can also commit with “git commit” then type in the editor and save

Status of Files

  1. Untracked: Will not be saved / commited into the repo (“git add filename” to stage”)
  2. Staged: To be saved into the repo (“git commit” to save into repo and make it unmodified)
  3. Unmodified: Previously committed. Currently has no changes
  4. Modified: Previously committed. Content has changed. Stage file (“git add filename”) in order to commit new version to repo
  • Cannot commit empty folders into git

Staging Files

  • A file needs to be staged before it can be committed
  • A staged file will stage the file at that point in time
    git status
    
      # # On branch master
      # nothing to commit, working directory clean 
    
    echo "line 1" >> README
    git status      
    
      # # On branch master
      # # Changes not staged for commit:
      # #   (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
      # #   (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
      # #
      # #    modified:   README
      # #
      # no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")
    
    git add README
    echo "line 2" >> README
    git commit -m "commits only line 1 (C2)"
    
       # [master 58001d6] commits only line 1 (C2)
       #  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)      
    
    git status
    
      # # On branch master
      # # Changes not staged for commit:
      # #   (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
      # #   (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
      # #
      # #    modified:   README
      # #
      # no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")      
    
    git commit -am "auto stage tracked files and commit (C3)"
    
       # [master cbf5a24] auto stage tracked files and commit (C3)
       #  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)

Viewing previous commit logs

git log
git log -2
git log --pretty=oneline
git log --pretty="format:%h: %s (%an)"

See previous commit states

-Checkout the state of the repo at any commit

# git checkout previousCommitHashShownInGitLog

git log --pretty=oneline

  # cbf5a24f41bb8a2f70527f5a96cea4fca411910b auto stage tracked files and commit (C3)
  # 58001d6d9c474a6e5b102cf53a1948b0f5fd213d commits only line 1 (C2)
  # 93ecaa8c1238b872827781f6136401e4b9e3849b Added README (C1)

cat README

  # line 1
  # line 2

git checkout 25555caa7589363b20b3e1b34bd7ba979c13ff57
cat README

  # line 1

git checkout master
cat README

  # line 1
  # line 2
  • Think of commits as chain of events linked to the previous commit
    C1 - C2 - C3 <-- master <-- head
  • master is the default branch and points to the last commit in the branch
  • HEAD points to you current location in the commit chain (changes when you checkout)
  • Checking out will move the head pointer and shows the state of the files at the point in time
  • “git checkout master” will point the HEAD back to master which is the latest commit
  • Note: All version of files are stored locally so you can git checkout without any network

Ignoring Files

  • Specify in .gitignore folder
    touch ignore_this_file
    git status
      # # On branch master
      # # Untracked files:
      # #   (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
      # #
      # #    ignore_this_file
      # nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)
    
    echo "ignore_this_file" >> .gitignore
    git status
      # # On branch master
      # # Untracked files:
      # #   (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
      # #
      # #    .gitignore

Branches

  • When working on a new feature, create a feature branch, work on it and then merge it into the master branch

View Branches

git branch
    # * master

    # C1 - C2 - C3 <-- master <-- head

Create New Branch

git branch new_feature
    # C1 - C2 - C3 <-- master <-- head
    #           ^
    #           '---- new_feature

git branch
    # * master
    #   new_feature

Switch to new branch

git checkout new_feature
    # Switched to branch 'new_feature'

    # C1 - C2 - C3 <-- master
    #           ^
    #           '---- new_feature <-- head

git branch
    #   master
    # * new_feature

echo "new feature" >> README

git commit -am "new feature added (C4)"          

   # C1 - C2 - C3 <-- master
   #           |
   #           '---- C4 <-- new_feature <-- head

Merging Branches

  • Merge changes from new_feature into master
    git checkout master
    
      # C1 - C2 - C3 <-- master <-- head
      #           |
      #           '- C4 <-- new_feature
    
    git merge new_feature master
      # Updating e7578b4..13107de
      # Fast-forward
      #  README | 1 +
      #  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
    
      # C1 - C2 - C3 
      #           |
      #           '- C4 <-- new_feature 
      #               ^
      #               '---- master <-- head
  • As master has not been changed, the master pointer just “fast forwards”

Delete Branch after use

git branch -d new_feature

    # C1 - C2 - C3
    #           |
    #           '- C4
    #               ^
    #               '---- master <-- head

Merge Conflicts

  • Happens when conflicting changes happen between merges
      C1 - C2 - C3 - C4 <-- master
  • Create new branch and switch to it (shortcut)
    git checkout -b merge_conflict
    
    echo "merge_conflict_branch" > README
    git commit -am "one line README in merge_conflict (C5)"
    
      # C1 - C2 - C3 - C4 <-- master
      #                |
      #                C5 <-- merge_conflict  <-- head
    
    git checkout master
    echo "master add new line" >> README
    git commit -am "yet another line (C6)"
    
      # C1 - C2 - C3 - C4 - C6 <-- master  <-- head
      #                |
      #                C5 <-- merge_conflict
    
    git merge merge_conflict master
    
      # Auto-merging README
      # CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in README
      # Automatic merge failed; fix conflicts and then commit the result.
  • Will now need to edit the README file manually to resolve conflicts
     cat README
    
       # <<<<<<< HEAD
       #  line 1
       #  line 2
       #  new feature
       #  master add new line
       #  =======
       #  merge_conflict_branch
       #  >>>>>>> merge_conflict
  • New file shows the changes between the branches.
  • Delete and clean the <<<<<<, =======, >>>>>> and text in between.
    • “<<<<<<<” : start of your current branch’s file
    • “=======” : end of your current branch’s file & start of the difference from other (merged) branch changes
    • “>>>>>>>” : end of other branch changesgit commit -am “merged merge_conflict with master (C7)”
       # C1 - C2 - C3 - C4 - C6 -C7 <-- master  <-- head
       #                |
       #                C5 <-- merge_conflict

Show changes

  • Changes that haven’t been staged
    echo "diff me" >> README
    git diff
    
      # diff --git a/README b/README
      # index 4b7c1e3..f6a1b72 100644
      # --- a/README
      # +++ b/README
      # @@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ new feature
      #  master add new line
      #  merge_conflict_branch
      # +diff me
  • Changes that have been staged
    echo "diff me again" >> README    
    git diff --cached    
      #
    git add README
    git diff --cached
      # diff --git a/README b/README
      # index 4b7c1e3..fbe856c 100644
      # --- a/README
      # +++ b/README
      # @@ -4,3 +4,5 @@ new feature
      #  master add new line
      #  merge_conflict_branch
      # +diff me
      # +diff me again

Unstage a file

echo "to be unstaged" >> README
git add README
git status

  # On branch master
  # Changes to be committed:
  #   (use "git reset HEAD <file>..." to unstage)
  #
  #    modified:   README
  #    

git reset HEAD README

  # Unstaged changes after reset:
  # M    README    

git status

  # # On branch master
  # # Changes not staged for commit:
  # #   (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  # #   (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
  # #
  # #    modified:   README
  # #
  # no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")

Restore file to previous version

echo "these changes will be reset" >> README
git status

  # # On branch master
  # # Changes not staged for commit:
  # #   (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  # #   (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
  # #
  # #    modified:   README
  # #
  # no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")

git checkout -- README
git status

  # # On branch master
  # nothing to commit, working directory clean    

Reset all tracked files to previous commit

git reset --hard
  • Deletes all changes since last commit
  • Only affects tracked files
  • Untracked files do not get deleted

Working with remotes

  • (e.g. GitHub, your own server, etc)

Push Changes to Remote

  • Add a remote to you bare repo
  • “git push repo_name branch_to_push”
    git remote -v
      # 
    git init ../git.git --bare
    git remote add my_repo ../git.git 
    git remote -v
    
      # my_repo  ../git.git (fetch)
      # my_repo  ../git.git (push)
    
    git push my_repo master
    
      # Counting objects: 24, done.
      # Delta compression using up to 2 threads.
      # Compressing objects: 100% (14/14), done.
      # Writing objects: 100% (24/24), 2.07 KiB | 0 bytes/s, done.
      # Total 24 (delta 1), reused 0 (delta 0)
      # To ../git.git
      #  * [new branch]      master -> master

Clone from a remote repo

  git clone ../git.git ../git_clone
  cd ../git_clone
  git remote -v
     # origin    /Users/user/test_git/../git.git (fetch)
     # origin    /Users/user/test_git/../git.git (push)      
  • “origin” is the default name of your git repo that you have access to

Download changes from a Remote URL

  # git fetch remote_name
  git fetch origin
  • Does not merge into your existing code, just downloads all changes locally so can merge / checkout

Merge Changes from Remote Branch

  git fetch origin
  git merge origin/master master
    #  **fix any conficts if needed and commit**
    # can also do "git pull origin"

Workflow for pushing to a Repo

  • Clone from Repo
    git clone url_to_git_repo
  • Go into directory and make changes
    cd url_to_git_repo
    echo "cloned" >> README
  • Commit your changes
    git commit -am "my changes"
  • Fetch and merge from origin
    git pull origin
  • Fix conflicts (if any)
    git commit -am "merged origin to masteR"
  • Push to origin
    git push origin master

GitHub Pull Requests

  • Fork a project
  • Clone locally
  • Add remote to project you forked from (typically called “upstream”)
    git remote add upstream git.repo
  • Make your changes
  • Make your commit
    git pull upstream/master master
    *resolve conflicts*
    git commit
  • Use web interface to create pull request
  • Go to your fork
  • Sidebar > Pull Request

Note: Markdown was a pain. It rendered the HTML but a mix of tabs and spaces and even manual spacing caused inconsistent behaviour.

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