Git Cheat Sheet: Essential Git Commands

If you work on Python, Data Science, AI, or any software project, you don't need to memorize dozens of Git commands. Start with the core workflow below and build from there.

🚀 1. Start a Git Project​

Initialize Git and check the current state of your project:

git init
git status

What they do:

• git init initializes a new Git repository.
• git status shows which files have changed and what Git is currently tracking.

---

💾 2. Save Your Changes​

After making changes, stage and commit them:

git add .
git commit -m "Add data cleaning"

Think of the workflow this way:

• git add → Stage your changes.
• git commit → Save a snapshot of those changes in the project's history.

A commit gives you a clear point you can refer back to later.

---

☁️ 3. Connect Your Project to GitHub​

To connect your local repository to a GitHub repository and push your code:

git remote add origin
git branch -M main
git push -u origin main

After the push completes, your local project is available in the remote GitHub repository.

Remember: Git and GitHub are not the same thing. Git handles version control, while GitHub provides hosting and collaboration features for Git repositories.

🌿 4. Create a Feature Branch​

When working on a new feature, you can create a separate branch instead of making changes directly on main:

git switch -c feature/dashboard

After finishing the feature:

git add .
git commit -m "Add dashboard"
git switch main
git merge feature/dashboard

This keeps feature development separate from the main branch until you're ready to merge it.

---

🔍 5. See What Changed​

These commands are useful when you want to understand the current state or history of your project:

git diff
git log --oneline
git status

• git diff → Shows changes that have not been committed.
• git log --oneline → Shows a compact version of the commit history.
• git status → Shows the current state of your working directory and staging area.

---

👥 6. Work With a Remote Repository​

When collaborating with others or working across multiple devices, you'll commonly use:

git pull
git push

• ⬇️ git pull → Fetches changes from the remote repository and integrates them into your current branch.
• ⬆️ git push → Uploads your local commits to the remote repository.

---

🎯 The Git Workflow to Remember​

You can think of the basic Git workflow as a simple cycle:

Edit
↓
git add
↓
Staging Area
↓
git commit
↓
Local Repository
↓
git push
↓
GitHub

When working with existing remote changes, git pull brings those changes back into your local project.

---

Git vs. GitHub​

This is one of the most common points of confusion for beginners.

Git	GitHub
Version control system	Platform for hosting and collaborating on Git repositories
Runs locally on your computer	Provides a remote service for your repositories
Tracks changes and commits	Helps you share, review, and collaborate on code

📌 Don't try to memorize 50 Git commands at once.
Start with this core set:
status → add → commit → push → pull → branch → merge → diff → log
Once this workflow becomes familiar, learning more advanced Git commands becomes much easier.

---

Frequently Asked Questions​

------------------

What are the most important Git commands for beginners?​

Start with git status, git add, git commit, git push, git pull, git switch, git merge, git diff, and git log.

What is the difference between Git and GitHub?​

Git is a version control system used to track changes in a project. GitHub is a platform that hosts Git repositories and provides tools for collaboration, code review, and sharing.

What does git add do?​

git add stages changes so they can be included in the next commit.

What does git commit do?​

git commit saves the staged changes as a snapshot in the repository's history.

What does git pull do?​

git pull retrieves changes from a remote repository and integrates them into your current local branch.

What does git push do?​

git push sends your local commits to a remote repository such as GitHub.