Git Complete Guide: Branching, Merging, Rebasing and Undoing Mistakes

Git Complete Guide

Git is the universal version control system. Every developer must master branching, merging, rebasing, and conflict resolution for daily professional work.

git config --global user.name  "Rahul Sharma"
git config --global user.email "rahul@ezycoders.in"

git init                       # new repo
git clone URL                  # clone existing
git status                     # what changed?
git add .                      # stage all
git commit -m "feat: add login"
git push origin main

Branching and Merging

git checkout -b feature/user-auth  # create and switch
git switch -c feature/user-auth    # modern syntax

git checkout main
git merge feature/user-auth        # merge (preserves history)
git merge --squash feature/auth    # squash all commits into one

git checkout feature/user-auth
git rebase main                    # replay commits on top of main
git rebase --continue              # after resolving conflicts

git branch -d feature/user-auth   # delete local
git push origin --delete feature/user-auth  # delete remote

Useful Commands

git stash                       # save work-in-progress
git stash pop                   # restore
git log --oneline --graph --all # visual history
git blame src/User.php          # who changed each line

git restore src/file.php        # discard unstaged changes
git reset --soft HEAD~1         # undo commit, keep staged
git reset --hard HEAD~1         # undo commit, DISCARD changes
git revert abc1234              # create undo commit (safe for shared)
git cherry-pick abc1234         # apply specific commit