How to use Git: A Tutorial for Beginners

How to use Git and understanding the Structure of Git Commands How to use Git Let's understand how to use Git and also understanding the general structure of a Git command : git <command> [arguments] [parameters] Command : The action Git will perform (e.g., commit, pull, add) Arguments (or flags) : Modify the behavior of the command (e.g., -m, --force) Parameters : Are the values or targets of the command (e.g., file name, branch name) Exemplo clássico: git pull origin master git : invokes Git pull : command to “pull” or fetch updates from the remote repository origin : parameter, name of the remote repository (default is “origin”) master : parameter, name of the branch to update locally 1. git init Command : init What it does : Initializes a new Git repository in the current directory. git init No arguments or parameters in the basic form. Can use: --bare: creates a repository without a working directory (server mode). Common error : Running git init in a folder that already has a Git repository. 2. git clone Command : clone What it does : Creates a local copy of a remote repository. git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git https://... : parameter with the remote repository URL. Useful arguments: --branch name : clones a specific branch. --depth 1 : clones only the latest commit.t. 3. git status Command : status What it does : Shows what was changed, added, or removed. git status No required arguments or parameters. 4. git add Command : add What it does : Adds files to the staging area (preparing for commit). git add file.txt file.txt: parameter — the file being added. Argumentos úteis: . : adds all files in the current directory. -A: adds all files (including deleted ones). -u: adds modified and deleted files. 5. git commit Command : commit What it does : Saves the staged changes into Git history. git commit -m "message" -m: required argument to define the commit message. "message": parameter — the message describing the change. Other arguments: --amend: edits the last commit. 6. git push Command : push What it does : Sends local commits to the remote repository. git push origin main origin : parameter — remote repository name. main : parameter — the branch to be updated remotely. Useful arguments: - -force : forces the push (use with caution). --set-upstream : sets the default branch for future pushes. 7. git pull Command : pull What it does : Fetches changes from the remote repo to your local branch. git pull origin main origin : parameter — remote repo name. main : parameter — branch to be updated locally. Useful arguments: --rebase : reapplies your commits on top of remote commits instead of merging. Common error : Having uncommitted local changes causing conflicts. 8. git branch Command : branch What it does : Lists, creates, renames, or deletes branches. git branch new-feature new-feature : parameter — name of the new branch. Useful arguments: -d name : deletes a branch. -m new-name : renames the current branch. 9. git checkout Command : checkout What it does : Switches branches or restores files. git checkout new-feature new-feature : parameter — the target branch. Useful argument: -b : creates and switches to a new branch. git checkout -b nova-feature 10. git merge Command : merge What it does : Merges changes from one branch into another. git merge branch-name branch-name : parameter — the branch with changes to apply. 11. git log Command : log What it does : Shows the commit history. git log Useful arguments: --oneline : displays commits in one line. --graph : draws the branch graph. --all : includes all branches in the log. 12. git reset Command : reset What it does : Reverts to a previous commit. git reset --soft HEAD~1 --soft : keeps changes in the code. HEAD~1 : parameter — points to the previous commit. Other option: --hard : erases everything permanently. 13. git revert Command : revert What it does : Creates a new commit undoing a specific commit. git revert abc1234 abc1234 : parameter — the hash of the commit to be reverted. 14. git stash Command : stash What it does : Temporarily stores uncommitted changes. git stash
git stash pop Useful arguments: pop: applies and removes the stored stash. list: shows all stashes. 15. git remote Command : remote What it does : Manages connections to remote repositories git remote add origin https://github.com/user/repo.git add : argument — adds a new remote. origin : parameter — name of the remote. https://... : parameter — repository URL. Others: -v : shows existing remotes. remove : removes a remote. Final Thoughts Understanding what each part of a command does (command, argument, parameter) is a game-changer for anyone learning Git. With this guide, you're not just running commands — you're understanding them, and that makes all the difference. Know that throughout your journey working on multi-team projects, understanding Git is almost mandatory. Use this guide in your daily routine, and I’m sure it’ll help you a lot.