Complete Distributed Version Control (Git) Cheat Sheet – Commands, Workflows & Best Practices

Introduction

Distributed Version Control Systems (DVCS) allow multiple developers to work on the same project simultaneously while maintaining a complete history of changes. Unlike centralized systems, every developer has a full copy of the project history, enabling offline work and reducing single points of failure. Git is the most popular DVCS, powering platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.

Why DVCS Matters:

Complete project history on every machine
Offline capabilities
Superior branching and merging
Enhanced collaboration workflows
Better backup and redundancy

Core Concepts & Principles

Repository Structure

Working Directory: Your local files and folders
Staging Area (Index): Prepared changes ready to commit
Local Repository: Your complete project history
Remote Repository: Shared repository (GitHub, GitLab, etc.)

Key Principles

Snapshots, Not Differences: Git stores complete snapshots of your project
Integrity: Everything is checksummed with SHA-1 hashes
Three States: Modified, Staged, Committed
Branching: Lightweight, fast branch creation and switching
Distributed: No central authority required

Essential Git Configuration

Initial Setup

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

Useful Configuration

git config --global alias.st status
git config --global alias.co checkout
git config --global alias.br branch
git config --global alias.unstage 'reset HEAD --'

Basic Git Commands by Category

Repository Operations

Command	Description	Example
`git init`	Initialize new repository	`git init my-project`
`git clone`	Clone remote repository	`git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git`
`git status`	Check repository status	`git status`
`git log`	View commit history	`git log --oneline --graph`

File Operations

Command	Description	Example
`git add`	Stage changes	`git add file.txt` or `git add .`
`git commit`	Commit staged changes	`git commit -m "Add new feature"`
`git rm`	Remove files	`git rm file.txt`
`git mv`	Move/rename files	`git mv old.txt new.txt`
`git restore`	Restore files	`git restore file.txt`

Branch Operations

Command	Description	Example
`git branch`	List/create branches	`git branch feature-xyz`
`git checkout`	Switch branches	`git checkout main`
`git switch`	Switch branches (new)	`git switch feature-xyz`
`git merge`	Merge branches	`git merge feature-xyz`
`git rebase`	Rebase branches	`git rebase main`

Remote Operations

Command	Description	Example
`git remote`	Manage remotes	`git remote add origin <url>`
`git fetch`	Download remote changes	`git fetch origin`
`git pull`	Fetch and merge	`git pull origin main`
`git push`	Upload changes	`git push origin main`

Git Workflow Methodologies

1. Centralized Workflow

Best for: Small teams, simple projects

Single main branch
All changes committed directly to main
Linear history

git clone <repository>
# Make changes
git add .
git commit -m "Description"
git push origin main

2. Feature Branch Workflow

Best for: Medium teams, feature-based development

Create branches for each feature
Merge back to main when complete

git checkout -b feature/user-auth
# Develop feature
git add .
git commit -m "Implement user authentication"
git push origin feature/user-auth
# Create pull request
git checkout main
git merge feature/user-auth

3. Gitflow Workflow

Best for: Release-based projects, larger teams

main: Production-ready code
develop: Integration branch
feature/*: New features
release/*: Release preparation
hotfix/*: Emergency fixes

4. GitHub Flow

Best for: Continuous deployment, web applications

Create branch from main
Add commits
Open pull request
Deploy and test
Merge to main

Advanced Git Commands

History and Inspection

Command	Description	Example
`git diff`	Show changes	`git diff HEAD~1`
`git show`	Show commit details	`git show abc1234`
`git blame`	Show line authors	`git blame file.txt`
`git bisect`	Binary search for bugs	`git bisect start`

Undoing Changes

Command	Description	Example
`git reset`	Reset to previous state	`git reset --soft HEAD~1`
`git revert`	Create reverse commit	`git revert abc1234`
`git reflog`	Show reference log	`git reflog`
`git cherry-pick`	Apply specific commit	`git cherry-pick abc1234`

Stashing

Command	Description	Example
`git stash`	Save temporary changes	`git stash push -m "WIP"`
`git stash pop`	Apply and remove stash	`git stash pop`
`git stash list`	List all stashes	`git stash list`
`git stash drop`	Delete stash	`git stash drop stash@{0}`

Branching Strategies Comparison

Strategy	Pros	Cons	Best For
Single Branch	Simple, easy to understand	No isolation, conflicts common	Solo projects, prototypes
Feature Branches	Isolated development, clean history	Merge conflicts, overhead	Most team projects
Gitflow	Structured, handles releases well	Complex, slower development	Enterprise, scheduled releases
GitHub Flow	Simple, continuous deployment	Less control over releases	Web apps, SaaS products

Common Challenges and Solutions

Merge Conflicts

Problem: Conflicting changes in same file lines Solution:

git status  # See conflicted files
# Edit files to resolve conflicts
git add resolved-file.txt
git commit -m "Resolve merge conflict"

Accidental Commits

Problem: Committed wrong files or messages Solutions:

# Undo last commit, keep changes
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Undo last commit, discard changes
git reset --hard HEAD~1

# Amend commit message
git commit --amend -m "Corrected message"

Large Files

Problem: Repository becomes bloated Solutions:

Use .gitignore for build artifacts
Implement Git LFS for large files
Use git clean -fd to remove untracked files

Detached HEAD

Problem: Working in detached HEAD state Solution:

# Create branch from current state
git checkout -b new-branch-name

# Or return to main branch
git checkout main

Best Practices and Tips

Commit Guidelines

Write clear commit messages: Use imperative mood (“Add feature” not “Added feature”)
Make atomic commits: One logical change per commit
Commit frequently: Small, focused commits are easier to track
Use conventional commits: feat:, fix:, docs:, refactor:

Branch Management

Use descriptive branch names: feature/user-authentication, bugfix/login-error
Keep branches short-lived: Merge frequently to avoid conflicts
Delete merged branches: Clean up after merging
Protect main branch: Use branch protection rules

Repository Organization

Maintain .gitignore: Exclude build files, IDE settings, secrets
Use README.md: Document project setup and usage
Tag releases: Use semantic versioning (v1.2.3)
Regular maintenance: Clean up old branches and tags

Collaboration Tips

Pull before push: Always sync with remote before pushing
Use pull requests: Enable code review and discussion
Write descriptive PR descriptions: Explain what and why
Review code thoroughly: Check for bugs, style, and logic

Git Aliases for Productivity

# Status and log shortcuts
git config --global alias.s status
git config --global alias.l "log --oneline --graph --decorate"
git config --global alias.ll "log --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset'"

# Branch shortcuts
git config --global alias.co checkout
git config --global alias.br branch
git config --global alias.sw switch

# Useful combinations
git config --global alias.unstage 'reset HEAD --'
git config --global alias.last 'log -1 HEAD'
git config --global alias.visual '!gitk'

Troubleshooting Quick Reference

Problem	Command	Description
See what changed	`git diff`	Compare working directory to staging
Undo unstaged changes	`git restore file.txt`	Discard changes in working directory
Unstage files	`git restore --staged file.txt`	Remove from staging area
See commit history	`git log --oneline`	Condensed commit history
Find when bug introduced	`git bisect start`	Binary search through commits
Recover deleted branch	`git reflog`	Find branch reference
Clean untracked files	`git clean -fd`	Remove untracked files and directories

Advanced Workflows

Rebase vs Merge Decision Matrix

Scenario	Use Rebase	Use Merge
Feature branch to main	✓	✗
Updating feature branch	✓	✗
Shared branch	✗	✓
Public commits	✗	✓
Preserving context	✗	✓
Clean linear history	✓	✗

Git Hooks Examples

# Pre-commit hook (run tests)
#!/bin/sh
npm test
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
  echo "Tests must pass before commit!"
  exit 1
fi

# Pre-push hook (prevent force push to main)
#!/bin/sh
protected_branch='main'
current_branch=$(git symbolic-ref HEAD | sed -e 's,.*/\(.*\),\1,')
if [ $protected_branch = $current_branch ]; then
  echo "Direct push to main branch is not allowed"
  exit 1
fi

Resources for Further Learning

Official Documentation

Git Official Documentation: https://git-scm.com/doc
Pro Git Book: https://git-scm.com/book (Free online)
Git Reference: https://git-scm.com/docs

Interactive Learning

Learn Git Branching: https://learngitbranching.js.org/
GitHub Skills: https://skills.github.com/
Atlassian Git Tutorials: https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials

Advanced Topics

Git Internals: Understanding how Git works under the hood
Git Workflows: Comparing different team collaboration strategies
Git Hooks: Automating tasks with Git hooks
Git LFS: Managing large files in Git repositories

Tools and GUIs

GitKraken: Cross-platform Git GUI
SourceTree: Free Git GUI by Atlassian
VS Code Git Integration: Built-in Git support
GitHub Desktop: Simple Git GUI for GitHub

Command Line Enhancements

Oh My Zsh Git Plugin: Enhanced Git aliases and prompts
Git Flow Extensions: Tools for Gitflow workflow
Tig: Text-based Git repository browser