Useful Git Commands

29 December 2016

I love using git command to do everything, so I added some commands/alias to speed up some general git operations.

Git alias

You can add your alias by opening gitconfig with command git config --global -e, then you can add a [alias] section into it.

Here is my [alias]section:

st = status
llg = log --oneline -n
p = pull --rebase
ci = commit -m
cia = commit -am
co = checkout
amend = commit --amend -a --no-edit

Powershell commands

There are still other operations that need a combination of several git commands, I added them as powershell function into my powershell profile(As I’m using windows to do the development at the moment).

Use notepad $profile or any other editor you have to open the powershell profile. If it’s not existed, create one. Then I have the following functions in it:

function ws(){
    cd c:\workspace
}
ws

#rebase latest master to current branch
function gr(){
    $currentBranch = git symbolic-ref --short HEAD
    write-host "Current branch: <$currentBranch>" -f green
    git co master
    write-host "Pull master latest code..." -f green
    git p
    write-host "Go back to <$currentBranch>." -f green
    git co $currentBranch

    write-host "Rebasing master into <$currentBranch>..." -f green
    git rebase master
}

#short cmd to get current branch
function gg(){
    $currentBranch = git symbolic-ref --short HEAD
    write-host "Current branch: <$currentBranch>" -f green
}

#go to branch with a substring match
function gb($pattern){
    while($pattern -eq $null -or $pattern -eq ""){
        write-host "please give a sub string in the branch name, here are the branches:" -f red
        git branch

        $pattern = Read-Host "Switch to:"
    }

    $branch = git branch | ?{$_ -like "*$pattern*"} | Select-Object -first 1
    git co $branch.trim("*").trim()
}

# set upstream for new created local branch
function gitup(){
    # git push --set-upstream origin feature/abc

    $currentBranch = git symbolic-ref --short HEAD
    $currentBranch = $currentBranch.trim()
    write-host "Current branch: <$currentBranch>" -f green

    git push --set-upstream origin $currentBranch
}

# merge latest $branch into current branch.
function gitm($branch="develop"){
    $currentBranch = git symbolic-ref --short HEAD
    write-host "Current branch: <$currentBranch>" -f green
    git co $branch
    write-host "Pull branch $branch latest code..." -f green
    git p
    write-host "Go back to <$currentBranch>." -f green
    git co $currentBranch

    write-host "Merging $branch into <$currentBranch>..." -f green
    git merge $branch
}

#go to branch
function gb($pattern){
    while($pattern -eq $null -or $pattern -eq ""){
        write-host "please give a sub string in the branch name, here are the branches:" -f red
        git branch

        $pattern = Read-Host "Switch to: "
    }
    
    $branches = git branch | ?{$_ -like "*$pattern*"}
    if($branches.count -gt 1){
        write-host "matches $($branches.count) :" -f green
        write-host "==================================="
        0..($branches.count-1) | %{write-host "$_ : $($branches[$_])"}
        write-host "==================================="
        $index = Read-Host "Please select the index: "

        $branch = $branches[$index]
        git co $branch.trim("*").trim()
    }
    elseif ($branches.count -eq 1){
        $branch = $branches | Select-Object -first 1
        git co $branch.trim("*").trim()
    }
}

# clean local branch that deleted remotely
function git-clean{
    $currentBranch = git symbolic-ref --short HEAD
    $currentBranch = $currentBranch.Trim()
    git remote prune origin
    $branches = git branch --merged | ?{!($_ -like "*master*" -or $_ -like "*develop*" -or $_ -like "*$currentBranch*")}

    if($branches.count -gt 0){
        write-host "Clean branches: "
        $branches | %{ write-host $_ -f yellow}
        $branches.trim() | %{ git branch -d $_ } 
    }
}

# create pr from current branch, will open github page.
function pr($aimTo="master"){
    if(-not (test-path .git)){
        write-host "This is not a git repo" -f red
        return
    }
    $remoteUrl = (git config --get remote.origin.url).TrimEnd('.git')
    write-host "Remote: $remoteUrl" -f green

    $currentBranch = git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
    $currentBranch = $currentBranch.trim()
    write-host "Current branch: $currentBranch" -f green

    if($remoteUrl.StartsWith("git@github.com:")){
        $remoteUrl = $remoteUrl.Replace("git@github.com:", "https://github.com/")
    }
    if($aimTo -eq $currentBranch){
        write-host "You are trying to create pull request against the same branch" -f red
        return
    }
    start "$remoteUrl/compare/$aimTo...$($currentBranch)?expand=1"
}

Merge commits

If you have several local commits, and you want to merge them into one when committing, you can use this command:

git rebase -i or
git rebase -i head~3 if you only want to handle the first 3 commits.

it will open a window like this:

....
# Rebase 598cf24..598cf24 onto 598cf24 (1 command(s))
#
# Commands:
# p, pick = use commit
# r, reword = use commit, but edit the commit message
# e, edit = use commit, but stop for amending
# s, squash = use commit, but meld into previous commit
# f, fixup = like "squash", but discard this commit's log message
# x, exec = run command (the rest of the line) using shell
# d, drop = remove commit
#
# These lines can be re-ordered; they are executed from top to bottom.
#
# If you remove a line here THAT COMMIT WILL BE LOST.
#
# However, if you remove everything, the rebase will be aborted.
#
# Note that empty commits are commented out

then you can change the commands to squash(if you want to keep the commit message) or fixup(discard the commit message)

Git Flow commands

# shortcuts to create bugfix branch
function bug($name){
    if($name -eq "finish"){
        git flow bugfix finish
    }
    elseif($name -eq "publish"){
        git flow bugfix publish
    }
    else{
        git flow bugfix start $name
        gitup
    }
}

# shortcuts to create feature branch
function feature($name){
    if($name -eq "finish"){
        git flow feature finish
    }
    elseif($name -eq "publish"){
        git flow feature publish
    }
    else{
        git flow feature start $name
        gitup
    }
}

# shortcuts to create release branch
function release($name, $base="develop"){
    if($name -eq "finish"){
        git flow release finish
    }
    elseif($name -eq "publish"){
        git flow release publish
    }
    else{
        git flow release start $name $branch
        gitup
    }
}

# shortcuts to create hotfix branch
function hotfix($name, $base="master"){
    if($name -eq "finish"){
        git flow hotfix finish
    }
    elseif($name -eq "publish"){
        git flow hotfix publish
    }
    else{
        git flow hotfix start $name $branch
        gitup
    }
}

git 3

git 3