Getting Started Git Basics

Git Basics

This section of the documentation is meant for beginners new to Git. It will give you an overview of what Git is and how it works.

What is Git?

In short, Git is a distributed version control system (DVCS). But what does that mean? It means Git tracks changes to files over time, and every clone of a repository contains the full project history. Because of that, you can inspect history, make commits, and review previous changes locally without depending on a central server. However, services such as GitHub or GitLab are still useful because they provide a shared central place where teams can publish repositories, exchange changes, and collaborate on the same project.

Topics

Common Terms in Git

Term	Meaning
Branch	A named line of development. In practice, a branch is a movable label that points to the latest commit in that line of work.
Cherry-pick	The `git cherry-pick` command applies the changes from one existing commit onto your current branch as a new commit, without merging the whole branch it came from.
Checkout	The Git command used to switch to another branch or commit. In older Git workflows, `git checkout` is also used to create and switch to a new branch.
Clone	The `git clone` command creates a new local copy of an existing repository, including its history and remote information.
Commit	A commit is a saved snapshot of staged changes in the repository history, stored together with a message and metadata. You usually create one with the `git commit` command.
Commit hash	The unique identifier Git assigns to a commit, which lets you refer to one exact point in the project's history.
Credential manager	A tool that securely stores and supplies authentication credentials, such as tokens or passwords, for Git operations.
Diff	A comparison that shows what changed between two versions of a file, commit, or branch. On the command line, you usually inspect it with `git diff`.
Fast forward	A kind of merge where Git can simply move a branch pointer forward because there is no separate branch history to combine.
Fetch	The `git fetch` command downloads updated commits and remote branch information without automatically changing your current branch or worktree.
File states	The current Git status of a file, such as untracked, modified, staged, or already committed.
Forked repository	A separate copy of a repository, usually created under another account, so you can work on it independently from the original.
HEAD	Git's name for your current position in repository history, usually the branch or commit you currently have checked out.
History	The record of commits saved in a repository over time, showing how the project has changed.
HTTPS	A web-based protocol Git can use to connect to remote repositories and transfer data over the network.
Init	The `git init` command creates a new Git repository in a directory.
Large File Storage	An extension, often called Git LFS, that stores large files outside normal Git object storage while keeping lightweight references in the repository.
Local repository	The copy of a Git repository on your own machine, including its history, branches, and local commits.
Merge	The `git merge` command combines another line of development into your current branch, either by fast-forwarding or by creating a merge commit.
Merge conflict	A situation where Git cannot automatically combine two sets of changes and needs you to decide the final result.
Merge commit	A commit Git creates when it combines two lines of history into one, usually after merging one branch into another.
Pull	The `git pull` command brings remote changes into your current local branch by fetching them and then integrating them.
Pull request	A request to review and merge changes from one branch or fork into another shared branch, commonly used on hosting platforms like GitHub.
Push	The `git push` command sends your local commits to a remote repository so others can access them there.
Rebase	The `git rebase` command replays commits on top of a different base commit, which rewrites that branch's history as new commits.
Repository	The full Git project, including the working files you see on disk and the Git history that records saved changes.
Remote repository	Another copy of the repository hosted elsewhere that you can fetch from, pull from, or push to.
Secure Shell (SSH)	A secure connection method Git can use to authenticate and communicate with remote repositories, often through SSH keys.
Squash commits	Combine multiple commits into one commit so the history becomes shorter and more focused.
Squash merge	A merge style that takes all changes from a branch and records them as one new commit on the target branch.
Staging	The process of choosing which changes should go into the next commit, instead of committing every current edit at once.
Stash	The `git stash` command temporarily stores your uncommitted changes so you can switch tasks and restore them later.
Submodule	A separate Git repository tracked inside another repository at a specific commit.
Tracking branch	A local branch configured to follow a corresponding remote branch, making it easier to fetch, pull, and compare changes.
Trunk branch	The main shared branch of a repository, often named `main` or `master`, where the primary project history is maintained.
Upstream	The remote branch that your local branch is configured to track by default. Commands like `git pull` and `git push` often use that upstream branch automatically once it has been set.
Worktree	The current checked-out files on disk that you can see and edit locally.