Mastering GitHub: Essential Commands and Tips

Git & GitHub is a powerful tool for version control and collaboration. Here's a guide to essential Git commands and configurations to get you started.

Git Workflow

1. Working Directory/Workspace: This is where you make changes to your files.

2. Staging Area/Index: This is where you prepare your changes before committing.

3. Local Repository: This is your local version of the project.

4. Remote Repository (GitHub): This is where you share your project with others.

Git Configuration

Before you start, configure Git with your details:

git config --list
git config --local --list
git config --global --list
git config --system --list

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
git config --global --unset user.name

Adding New Files

To add new files to your project:

ls                # List files in the directory
ls -a             # List all files, including hidden ones
touch day1.txt    # Create a new file
open day1.txt     # Open the file to edit (use start on Windows)
git status        # Check the status of your files
pwd               # Show current directory
cd ..             # Move up one directory

Staging and Un-staging Files

To stage your changes:

git add filename          # Add a specific file
git add -A                # Stage all changes in the directory and subdirectories
git add .                 # Stage all changes in the directory
git add *.js              # Stage all JavaScript files in the directory
git add **/*.js           # Stage all JavaScript files in the directory and subdirectories

To check differences:

git diff                 # Show changes

Committing Changes

To commit your changes:

git commit -m "Your commit message"  # Commit with a message
git commit -am "Your commit message" # Stage and commit all changes
git log                            # View commit history

To undo commits:

git reset --soft HEAD^      # Undo last commit, keep changes staged
git reset HEAD^             # Undo last commit, unstage changes
git reset --hard HEAD^      # Undo last commit, discard changes
git reset --soft HEAD~2     # Undo last 2 commits, keep changes staged

To exit 'git log':

: + q or ctrl + q

Branching and Merging

To manage branches:

git branch                 # List branches
git branch feature1        # Create a new branch
git checkout feature1      # Switch to a branch
git branch -d feature1     # Delete a branch
git checkout -b feature1   # Create and switch to a new branch

To merge branches:

git checkout main          # Switch to the main branch
git merge feature1         # Merge feature1 into main
git pull                   # Pull changes from remote

.gitignore File

To ignore files and directories:

touch .gitignore           # Create .gitignore file
start .gitignore           # Open .gitignore to edit
# Examples of what to include:
.env
*.txt                      # Ignore all .txt files
!story.txt                 # Exception: don't ignore story.txt
node_modules/              # Ignore the node_modules folder
temp/

Remote Repositories

To manage remote connections:

git remote                 # Check remote connections
git remote -v              # Show remote URLs
git remote add origin <REMOTE_URL>  # Add a remote repository

If remote origin already exists then your local repository is already connected to a GitHub repository. If you see that the remote URL needs to be updated, you can modify it with:

git remote set-url https://github.com/user-name/folder.git

After setting or confirming the correct URL, you can push your commits:

git push -u origin main

To remove a directory:

rm -rf directory_name      # Remove a directory

Pushing and Pulling Changes

To push changes:

git add .
git commit -m "Your message"
git push -u origin main    # Push changes to the main branch

To pull changes:

git pull

Forking and Cloning

To contribute to other projects:

Fork > Clone > Make changes > Push > Pull request

Setting Up SSH Keys

To set up SSH keys:

mkdir ~/.ssh               # Create .ssh directory
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"  # Generate SSH key
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub  # Show the public key
# Copy the key and add it to GitHub under Settings > SSH and GPG keys

Useful Keyboard Shortcuts

ctrl + L                   # Clear the terminal
cd /g                      # Change partition path in terminal

With these commands and tips, you'll be well on your way to mastering Git and GitHub. Happy coding!