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Git Basics Overview

Now that you have Git installed and configured, let's dive into the fundamental concepts and operations you'll use every day. This section covers the core Git workflow that every developer needs to master.

The Git Workflow

Understanding the Git workflow is crucial to using Git effectively. Here's the basic flow:

graph LR
    A[Working Directory] -->|git add| B[Staging Area]
    B -->|git commit| C[Repository]
    C -->|git checkout| A

Three Main Areas

  1. Working Directory 📁
  2. Your project files as you see them
  3. Where you make changes and edit files

  4. Files can be modified, added, or deleted

  5. Staging Area 📋

  6. A preparation area for your next commit
  7. Also called the "index"

  8. Contains changes you want to include in your next commit

  9. Repository 🗃️

  10. Your project's complete history
  11. Contains all committed changes
  12. The .git folder in your project

Core Git Commands

Here are the essential commands you'll use daily:

Command Purpose Example
git init Initialize a new repository git init my-project
git add Stage changes git add file.txt
git commit Save staged changes git commit -m "Add feature"
git status Check repository status git status
git log View commit history git log --oneline

File States in Git

Files in your Git repository can be in different states:

graph TD
    A[Untracked] -->|git add| B[Staged]
    B -->|git commit| C[Committed]
    C -->|modify| D[Modified]
    D -->|git add| B
    C -->|git rm| E[Deleted]
    E -->|git add| B

File State Descriptions

  • Untracked 🆕: New files that Git doesn't know about
  • Staged 📋: Changes marked to be included in the next commit
  • Committed ✅: Changes saved in the repository
  • Modified ✏️: Tracked files that have been changed
  • Deleted 🗑️: Files that have been removed

Basic Workflow Example

Let's walk through a typical Git workflow:

# 1. Create a new project
mkdir my-project
cd my-project

# 2. Initialize Git repository
git init

# 3. Create a file
echo "Hello Git!" > README.md

# 4. Check status
git status

# 5. Stage the file
git add README.md

# 6. Commit the changes
git commit -m "Add README file"

# 7. View the history
git log

Understanding Git Status

The git status command is your best friend. It shows:

  • Red files 🔴: Untracked or modified files (not staged)
  • Green files 🟢: Staged files (ready to commit)
  • Clean working tree: No changes to commit

Example output: 

On branch main
Changes to be committed:
  (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)
        new file:   README.md

Changes not staged for commit:
  (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
        modified:   index.html

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
        config.txt

What's Next?

Now that you understand the basic concepts, let's dive deeper into each operation:

  1. Repository Initialization - Creating your first repository
  2. Staging Changes - Preparing files for commit
  3. Committing Changes - Saving your work
  4. Working with Files - Managing files in Git

Quick Reference Card

Essential Commands Cheat Sheet

# Check what's happening
git status

# Stage files
git add filename.txt    # Stage specific file
git add .              # Stage all changes

# Commit changes
git commit -m "message"  # Commit with message
git commit -a -m "msg"   # Stage and commit modified files

# View history
git log                # Full log
git log --oneline      # Condensed log

# Undo changes
git restore filename   # Discard changes
git restore --staged filename  # Unstage file

Ready to create your first repository? Let's start with repository initialization!