name: git description: Git version control essentials and best practices. Use when working with git repositories, commits, branches, merges, rebases, remotes, or resolving conflicts. Triggers on git commands, branch operations, merge/rebase questions, or version control workflows. context: fork

Git Version Control

Essential Git knowledge for effective version control.

Daily Workflow

Status & Changes

git status              # Current state
git status -sb          # Short format with branch
git diff                # Unstaged changes
git diff --staged       # Staged changes
git diff HEAD~3         # Last 3 commits

Staging & Committing

# Stage changes
git add file.txt        # Specific file
git add .               # All changes
git add -p              # Interactive (patch mode)

# Commit
git commit -m "message" # With message
git commit              # Opens editor
git commit -am "msg"    # Add tracked + commit

# Amend last commit (before push)
git commit --amend      # Edit last commit
git commit --amend --no-edit  # Keep message

Viewing History

git log                 # Full log
git log --oneline       # Compact
git log --oneline -10   # Last 10
git log --graph         # With branch graph
git log -p file.txt     # File history with diffs
git log --author="name" # By author
git log --since="1 week" # Time-based

# Show specific commit
git show abc123
git show HEAD~2

Branching

Create & Switch

# Create branch
git branch feature      # Create
git checkout -b feature # Create + switch
git switch -c feature   # Modern create + switch

# Switch branches
git checkout main       # Classic
git switch main         # Modern

# List branches
git branch              # Local
git branch -r           # Remote
git branch -a           # All
git branch -v           # With last commit

Delete Branches

git branch -d feature   # Safe delete (merged only)
git branch -D feature   # Force delete
git push origin --delete feature  # Remote

Merging

Basic Merge

git checkout main
git merge feature       # Fast-forward if possible
git merge --no-ff feature  # Always create merge commit

Merge Conflicts

# After conflict
git status              # See conflicted files
# Edit files, resolve markers (<<<<, ====, >>>>)
git add resolved-file.txt
git commit              # Complete merge

# Abort merge
git merge --abort

Merge Strategies

git merge -X theirs feature  # Prefer theirs on conflict
git merge -X ours feature    # Prefer ours on conflict

Rebasing

Basic Rebase

git checkout feature
git rebase main         # Reapply feature on top of main

# Interactive rebase (edit history)
git rebase -i HEAD~3    # Last 3 commits
git rebase -i main      # All since main

Interactive Rebase Commands

Rebase Conflicts

# Resolve conflict, then:
git add resolved-file.txt
git rebase --continue

# Abort rebase
git rebase --abort

# Skip problematic commit
git rebase --skip

Remote Operations

Remotes

git remote -v           # List remotes
git remote add origin URL
git remote remove origin
git remote set-url origin NEW_URL

Fetch & Pull

git fetch               # Download without merge
git fetch --all         # All remotes
git fetch --prune       # Remove deleted remote branches

git pull                # Fetch + merge
git pull --rebase       # Fetch + rebase (cleaner history)
git pull origin main    # Specific branch

Push

git push                # Current branch
git push origin main    # Specific branch
git push -u origin feature  # Set upstream
git push --force-with-lease # Safe force push
git push --tags         # Push tags

Undoing Changes

Working Directory

git checkout -- file.txt    # Discard changes (old)
git restore file.txt        # Discard changes (modern)
git restore .               # Discard all

git clean -fd              # Remove untracked files/dirs
git clean -n               # Dry run

Staging Area

git reset file.txt         # Unstage (keep changes)
git restore --staged file.txt  # Modern unstage
git reset                  # Unstage all

Commits

# Undo last commit (keep changes staged)
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Undo last commit (keep changes unstaged)
git reset HEAD~1
git reset --mixed HEAD~1   # Same as above

# Undo last commit (discard changes) ⚠️
git reset --hard HEAD~1

# Revert (creates new commit undoing changes)
git revert abc123          # Safe for shared history

Stashing

git stash                  # Stash changes
git stash -m "message"     # With message
git stash -u               # Include untracked

git stash list             # List stashes
git stash show             # Show latest stash diff
git stash show -p stash@{0}  # Show specific stash

git stash pop              # Apply + remove
git stash apply            # Apply, keep in list
git stash drop             # Remove from list
git stash clear            # Remove all

Tags

# Create tags
git tag v1.0.0             # Lightweight
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release 1.0.0"  # Annotated (recommended)
git tag -a v1.0.0 abc123   # Tag specific commit

# List & show
git tag                    # List all
git tag -l "v1.*"          # Filter
git show v1.0.0            # Show tag details

# Push tags
git push origin v1.0.0     # Single tag
git push origin --tags     # All tags

# Delete tags
git tag -d v1.0.0          # Local
git push origin --delete v1.0.0  # Remote

Cherry-Pick

git cherry-pick abc123     # Apply specific commit
git cherry-pick abc123..def456  # Range
git cherry-pick -n abc123  # Don't commit (stage only)

# Conflict resolution
git cherry-pick --continue
git cherry-pick --abort

Bisect (Finding Bugs)

git bisect start
git bisect bad             # Current is broken
git bisect good v1.0.0     # This version worked

# Git checks out commits, you test:
git bisect good            # Works
git bisect bad             # Broken
# Repeat until found

git bisect reset           # Done, return to original

Worktrees

# Create worktree
git worktree add ../feature-worktree feature-branch
git worktree add -b new-branch ../new-worktree

# List worktrees
git worktree list

# Remove worktree
git worktree remove ../feature-worktree

Configuration

# User identity
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

# Editor
git config --global core.editor "vim"

# Default branch
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

# Aliases
git config --global alias.co checkout
git config --global alias.br branch
git config --global alias.st status
git config --global alias.lg "log --oneline --graph"

# View config
git config --list
git config --global --list

Best Practices

Commit Messages

type(scope): subject

[optional body]

[optional footer]

Types: feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, chore

Examples:

feat(auth): add OAuth2 login
fix(api): handle null response from payment service
docs(readme): update installation instructions
refactor(utils): extract date formatting to helper

Branch Naming

Golden Rules

1. Never rebase shared branches (main, develop)
2. Pull before push to avoid conflicts
3. Commit often, push when ready
4. Write meaningful commit messages
5. Use branches for features
6. Keep commits atomic (one logical change)
7. Review before committing (git diff --staged)

Troubleshooting

Recover Deleted Branch

git reflog                 # Find commit hash
git checkout -b recovered abc123

Undo Pushed Commit

# Safe way (new commit that undoes)
git revert abc123
git push

# Force way (rewrites history) ⚠️
git reset --hard HEAD~1
git push --force-with-lease

Fix Wrong Branch Commit

# Move commit to correct branch
git checkout correct-branch
git cherry-pick abc123
git checkout wrong-branch
git reset --hard HEAD~1

Large File Committed

# Remove from history
git filter-branch --tree-filter 'rm -f large-file.zip' HEAD
# Or use BFG Repo-Cleaner (faster)

Useful Aliases

# Add to ~/.gitconfig
[alias]
    st = status -sb
    co = checkout
    br = branch
    ci = commit
    lg = log --oneline --graph --decorate
    last = log -1 HEAD
    unstage = reset HEAD --
    amend = commit --amend --no-edit
    undo = reset --soft HEAD~1
    wip = commit -am "WIP"

GitHub/GitLab CLI Integration

# GitHub
gh pr create              # Create PR
gh pr list                # List PRs
gh pr checkout 123        # Checkout PR

# GitLab
glab mr create            # Create MR
glab mr list              # List MRs
glab mr checkout 123      # Checkout MR

Related Skills & Tasks

• git-worktrees skill: Detailed worktree management
• gitflow skill: GitFlow branching model
• jj skill: Jujutsu (Git-compatible alternative)
• /task:run github-pr: Create GitHub PR
• /task:run gitlab-mr: Create GitLab MR
• /task:run gitflow-*: GitFlow workflows