Basic Git Workflow
Checking the Status of a Git Repository
The git status command is used within a Git repository to its current status including the current commit, any modified files, and any new files not being tracked by Git.
The output of git status can vary widely, and it often includes helpful messages to direct the user to manage their repository. For example, git status will show the user the files they would commit by running git commit and the files they could commit by running git add before running git commit.
Initializing a Git Repository
The git init command creates or initializes a new Git project, or repository. It creates a .git folder with all the tools and data necessary to maintain versions. This command only needs to be used once per project to complete the initial setup. For instance, the code block sets up the home folder as a new git repository.
$ cd /home$ git init
Displaying Differences with Git Diff
The git diff filename command will display the differences between the working directory and the staging area in one specific file. Use git diff filename before adding new content to ensure that you are making the changes you expect.
$ git diff hello.txtdiff --git a/hello.txt b/hello.txtindex 557db03..980a0d5 100644--- a/hello.txt+++ b/hello.txt@@ -1 +1 @@-Hello World+Hello World!
Showing Git Commit Logs
In Git, the git log command shows all of the commit logs for a project. The following is displayed for each commit:
- A 40-character code, called a SHA, that uniquely identifies the commit.
- The commit author
- The date and time of the commit
- The commit message
This command is particularly useful when you need to refer back to an old version of your project. The unique SHA code allows you to identify a point in your program’s history that you would like to revert to.
$ git logcommit 9d63f80111447544c303e9f1776fa08593a87310Date: Wed Jan 13 18:55:53 2021 +0000Added updates to the filecommit 3ba6efbeece6ed530d85de5e313e52123fdf8cb4Date: Wed Jan 6 10:11:13 2021 -0400Completed first line of dialogue
Committing Your Code
The git commit -m "log message here" command creates a new commit containing:
- The current contents of the staging area
- A log message describing the changes to the repository
A commit is the last step in our Git workflow. A commit permanently stores changes from the staging area inside the repository. This command is almost always used in conjunction with the git add command as git add is used to add files to the staging area.
$ git commit -m "Added About section to README"[master 9d63f80] Added About section to README1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
Git
Git is a command line software that keeps track of changes made to a project over time. Git works by recording the changes made to a project, storing those changes, then allowing a programmer to reference them as needed.
All Git commands follow the pattern git <action> and, in order to use Git for a project, a project must first be initialized using the git init command in the project’s root directory.
Adding Changes to the Staging Area
The git add filename command is used to add the filename file to the staging area. After your changes have been staged, you can use the git commit command to permanently store your changes.
Git Project Workflow
A Git project has three parts:
- A Working Directory: where files are created, edited, deleted, and organized
- A Staging Area: where changes that are made to the working directory are listed
- A Repository: where Git permanently stores changes as different versions of the project
The Git workflow consists of editing files in the working directory, adding files to the staging area, and saving changes to a Git repository.
