Module 02: Git Basics

Overview

This module covers the core day-to-day Git commands you will use in almost every project: status, add, commit, log, diff, restore, and .gitignore.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the working tree, staging area, and history
• Use git status, git add, and git commit confidently
• Inspect history with git log
• Review changes with git diff
• Undo mistakes with git restore
• Manage files with git rm and git mv
• Ignore files safely with .gitignore
• Amend a commit when needed

Topics Covered

2.1 Working Tree and Staging Area

• What is the working tree?
• What is the staging area?
• Why Git separates them

2.2 git status

• Reading file states
• Untracked, modified, staged
• Clean working tree

2.3 git add

• Staging a file
• Staging parts of a file
• Best practices

2.4 git commit

• Writing good messages
• Commit snapshots
• Small, focused commits

2.5 git log

• Basic history view
• One-line format
• Limiting output

2.6 git diff

• Working tree vs staging
• Staged vs last commit
• Reading diffs

2.7 git restore

• Discarding changes safely
• Restoring from staging

2.8 git rm and git mv

• Removing tracked files
• Renaming files properly

2.9 .gitignore

• Ignoring build artifacts
• Pattern basics
• Keep repos clean

2.10 git commit --amend

• Fixing the last commit
• When to avoid amend

Hands-on Exercises

1. Create a repo and make two commits.
2. Use git diff to compare changes.
3. Stage changes and unstage them.
4. Ignore a temporary file with .gitignore.
5. Amend a commit message.

Key Takeaways

• The working tree and staging area keep commits clean.
• status, add, and commit are the core loop.
• Git provides safe ways to undo and inspect changes.

Additional Resources

• Pro Git: Git Basics
• git help for every command

Assessment

• Quiz on file states and commands
• Practical: stage, commit, diff, and restore

Next Module

Module 03 will cover branching and merging fundamentals.