Git Reference¶

This cheatsheet covers the essential Git commands for beginners using Visual Studio Code.

Initial Setup:¶

Before starting, you need to configure Git with your name, email, and other settings. This ensures your commits are associated with your identity.

Set your username:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"

Set your email:

git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Set automatic push behavior (so you don’t need to specify a remote every time):

git config --global --add --bool push.autoSetupRemote true

Cloning a Repository¶

Cloning is the process of downloading an existing GitHub repository to your local machine.

Command:

git clone <repository-url>

Example: git clone https://github.com/username/repo.git

After cloning, open the project in VSCode.

Staging Changes (git add)¶

After making changes to files, you need to stage them before committing.

Command:

git add <file>

To add all modified files:
```
git add .
```

Committing Changes (git commit)¶

Once files are staged, you can commit them. A commit is a snapshot of your project at a specific point.

Command:

git commit -m "Your commit message"

Best Practice: Write clear and descriptive commit messages so others (and future you) can understand the changes easily.

Pushing Changes to GitHub (git push)¶

After committing, you need to push your changes to GitHub.

Command:

git push origin <branch-name>

Example for the default branch:
```
git push origin main
```

If you’re pushing for the first time or authenticating to GitHub, VSCode may prompt you to log in or authenticate with GitHub.

Pulling Changes from GitHub (git pull)¶

To sync your local repository with changes others made on GitHub, use the git pull command.

Command:

git pull

This downloads the latest changes from the remote repository and merges them with your local code.

Authentication Tips¶

If GitHub asks for authentication when pushing or pulling:

Set your username and email (as shown in the setup section above).
You may need to authenticate using GitHub Personal Access Tokens (if GitHub stopped accepting passwords):
When prompted, use the token in place of your password.

Common Issues¶

Permission Denied (publickey): Ensure your SSH keys are set up or use HTTPS.
Authentication Error: Generate a GitHub Personal Access Token and use that instead of a password.

This cheat sheet covers the most common Git commands you’ll need as a beginner. As you gain experience, you can explore more advanced commands and workflows!