Get Good with Git: Part 5 - Advanced Git commands

While basic Git commands like commit, pull, push, and clone are sufficient for many everyday tasks, there are some advanced Git commands that can be very helpful in more complex scenarios.

In Part 5, we will explore some of the most useful advanced Git commands, including reverting changes, resolving merge conflicts, rebasing, and tagging.

Reverting changes

Reverting changes is a common task in Git. Sometimes you may need to undo a commit or revert a file to an earlier version. The Git revert command is used to create a new commit that undoes the changes made by a previous commit.

Here's an example:

git revert HEAD

This command reverts the most recent commit. You can also specify a commit hash to revert a specific commit.

git revert 2f7a3d6

Resolving merge conflicts

Merge conflicts occur when two or more branches have made conflicting changes to the same file. Git will not automatically resolve these conflicts, so you must manually merge the changes.

Here's an example:

git merge branch-name

This command merges the changes from the branch named "branch-name" into your current branch. If there are conflicts, Git will notify you and ask you to manually resolve them. You can use a visual merge tool or edit the files manually.

Once you have resolved the conflicts, you need to commit the changes.

git commit -m "Merge branch-name"

Rebasing

Rebasing is the process of moving the base of a branch to a different commit. This can be useful if you want to incorporate changes from another branch while keeping your commit history linear.

Here's an example:

git rebase master

This command rebases your current branch onto the "master" branch. Git will replay your changes on top of the "master" branch, creating a new linear history.

If there are conflicts, Git will ask you to resolve them just like when merging.

Tagging

Tags are used to mark specific points in your Git history. They are often used to indicate important milestones or releases.

Here's an example:

git tag v1.0.0

This command creates an annotated tag with the tag message "Release version 1.0.0".

These are just a few of the advanced Git commands that can be very helpful in more complex scenarios. By mastering these commands, you can become a more efficient and productive Git user. Remember to always use caution when using Git commands that modify your commit history, such as revert and rebase, as they can have unintended consequences if used incorrectly.

End of Part 5 of 10