Essential Git Commands Every Developer Should Know

Git is one of those tools that you think you understand until you encounter a merge conflict at 2 AM. Here's the commands I actually use daily, explained in plain English.

The Basics

These are the commands you'll use 90% of the time:

# Check what's changed
git status
 
# Stage everything
git add .
 
# Commit with a descriptive message
git commit -m "feat: add hero section with gradient animation"
 
# Push to remote
git push origin main

Branching Like a Pro

Never work directly on main. Create feature branches:

# Create and switch to a new branch
git checkout -b feature/blog-page
 
# Switch between branches
git checkout main
 
# Merge a feature branch
git merge feature/blog-page

Undoing Mistakes

We all make mistakes. Git has your back:

# Undo the last commit but keep changes
git reset --soft HEAD~1
 
# Discard all changes in a file
git checkout -- filename.js
 
# Amend the last commit message
git commit --amend -m "fix: corrected typo in component name"

My Commit Message Convention

I follow a simple convention that makes the git log actually useful:

| Prefix | Use Case | |--------|----------| | feat: | New feature | | fix: | Bug fix | | docs: | Documentation | | style: | Formatting changes | | refactor: | Code restructuring | | chore: | Maintenance tasks |

Pro Tips

1. Commit often, push frequently — Small commits are easier to review and revert
2. Write meaningful messages — "fix stuff" tells you nothing
3. Use .gitignore — Never commit node_modules or .env files
4. Learn git stash — It saves your work-in-progress without committing

# Stash your current changes
git stash
 
# Apply the stashed changes back
git stash pop

Conclusion

Git is a superpower once you get comfortable with it. Start with the basics, build muscle memory, and gradually explore more advanced features. Your future self will thank you for those clean commit histories!