Work Like a Real Developer with the Git CLI

What you'll learn

• 1Install git and configure user.name / user.email
• 2Clone a remote repository to your laptop
• 3Use the add → commit → push cycle confidently
• 4Create and switch branches with switch / checkout
• 5Merge branches and resolve simple conflicts

1. Why the CLI?

The GitHub web UI is fine for one file, but breaks down quickly when:

• You change ten files at once
• You need to switch between branches
• You collaborate with teammates
• You want to undo a commit cleanly

Every developer eventually uses git from the terminal. Better to learn it now.

2. Install & Configure Git

Install

git --version   # should print "git version 2.x.x"

git config --global user.name  "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

3. Clone a Repository

Clone copies a remote repo to your laptop. Find the green "Code" button on GitHub and copy the HTTPS URL.

git clone https://github.com/your-name/my-homepage.git
cd my-homepage
ls   # files appear locally

4. The Daily Cycle: add → commit → push

Every change you make follows the same three-step rhythm.

# 1. Edit files in your editor

# 2. See what changed
git status
git diff

# 3. Stage the files you want to record
git add index.html style.css
# or stage everything: git add .

# 4. Commit with a clear message
git commit -m "Style the navbar with flexbox"

# 5. Push to GitHub
git push

What each step does

• add: tell git "include these changes in the next snapshot" (staging area)
• commit: save the snapshot with a message (still local)
• push: upload your local commits to GitHub

Pull before push

If teammates pushed changes, run git pull first to merge them, then push your work.

git pull --rebase
git push

5. Branches & Merging

Branches let you work on a feature without breaking the main version. You can have several in flight at once.

git switch -c feature/dark-mode   # create + switch
# ... edit and commit ...
git switch main                    # back to main
git merge feature/dark-mode        # bring the work in

git branch -d feature/dark-mode    # delete the merged branch

Handling conflicts

When two branches change the same lines, git asks you to resolve. Open the marked file, choose the right version, then:

git add <resolved-file>
git commit
# (git auto-fills the merge commit message)

6. Reading & Undoing History

git log --oneline -10           # last 10 commits
git show HEAD                   # latest commit details
git diff HEAD~1 HEAD            # diff between two commits

# Undo unstaged changes in a file
git restore index.html

# Unstage a file (keep edits)
git restore --staged index.html

# Revert a pushed commit safely
git revert <commit-hash>

7. .gitignore

Tell git to ignore noise: build outputs, dependency folders, OS files.

# .gitignore
node_modules/
.DS_Store
.env
build/
.vscode/

Commit the .gitignore itself so the whole team shares the same rules.

8. Quick Reference

🛠 Mini Projects