Git Commands I Actually Use

I don’t use 90% of what git can do. Here are the commands that cover the other 10% — the ones I actually reach for every day.

The basics

git status          # what changed?
git diff            # what exactly changed?
git add -p          # stage hunks interactively
git commit -m "msg" # commit with a message

git add -p is underrated. It lets you review and stage changes hunk by hunk instead of blindly adding everything.

Navigating history

git log --oneline -20       # recent commits, compact
git log --oneline --graph   # visual branch history
git show <commit>           # inspect a specific commit
git blame <file>            # who changed what, and when

git blame gets a bad reputation, but it’s genuinely useful for understanding why code looks the way it does.

Fixing mistakes

git stash              # shelve current changes
git stash pop          # bring them back
git reset HEAD~1       # undo last commit, keep changes
git checkout -- <file> # discard changes to a file

The one I use most is git stash when I realize I’m on the wrong branch.

Working with branches

git switch -c feature  # create and switch to a branch
git rebase main        # replay commits on top of main
git cherry-pick <sha>  # grab a single commit

I prefer rebase over merge for keeping history linear, but either works. The important thing is consistency within a team.