Understanding Git Like a Graph

Beşir Can BARUTÇU — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 21:52:35 +0000

Git is a Graph: Understanding the Logic

Git is not just a list of commands; Git is a graph of commits. If you understand the logic behind it, everything becomes simple. Git is a graph of commits.

Starting a Project

There are two easy ways to do this:

1.Create a project folder from scratch:

git init
This creates a new Git repository locally. Use this when starting a project from your desktop.

2.Clone an existing repository:

If you want to download a ready-made repository and don't have a local folder yet, you can clone from GitHub.
cd Documents
git clone https://github.com/user/project.git
This connects your local project to the GitHub remote server automatically and creates a pointer called origin. (We will talk more about origin later).

What about Forking?

Forking is a GitHub feature that copies someone else's repository to your own account. If you don’t have access to a repo but want to contribute, you fork it, then clone your fork locally. After writing code, you create a Pull Request (PR)—essentially saying, "Hey, I improved the code, what do you think?"

Daily Workflow & Teamwork

When you work with a team, you want to save your progress and undo changes if things go bad. We use branches to keep work separated:

main *
└── dev
└── feature/task1 (You)
└── feature/task2 (Your teammate)

Working on feature/task1 means your changes won't affect your teammate’s code. Once you test your new features locally, you merge them into a shared codebase (like dev or main). You open a PR from your branch to dev, your teammates review it, and if it’s okay, it gets merged.

The Daily Commands:

git branch (See all local branches)

git checkout dev (Switch to the dev branch)

git checkout -b feature/task (The -b stands for a new branch)

git add . (Track your file changes)

git commit -m "first commit" (Create a checkpoint)

git push -u origin dev

-u stands for upstream. it creates a connection from your local branch to the remote branch. After this, you can just write git push without typing the rest.

The Three Areas

1.Working Directory: Your project as it sits on your laptop (e.g., a new file.txt you just created).

2.Staging Area: When you run git add ., Git starts "watching" those specific changes.

3.Repository: After you git commit, the changes are saved locally. Finally, git push sends them to the GitHub repository.

Advanced Survival Commands
git pull: This is fetch + merge. it brings all changes from your friends and updates your code.

git fetch: Safely brings remote branches for you to look at without merging them into your work.

git stash: If you need to change branches but aren't ready to commit, git stash hides your changes. Use git stash pop to bring them back when you return.

Merge vs. Rebase
Merge: Safe, but the history isn't linear because each merge is a new commit.

Rebase: Rewrites the commit history to make it linear. Be careful with a team; it can be confusing as it changes history!

Don't Fear Conflicts

Conflicts occur when two people edit the same line. Your editor will open and show you:

<<<<<<< HEAD
def calculate_total(price, tax):
    return price + (price * tax)
=======
def calculate_total(price, tax_rate):
    return price * (1 + tax_rate)
>>>>>>> feature-optimization

<<<<< HEAD is your local version; >>>>> feature-optimization is the incoming change. You can accept "current," "incoming," or "both."

Check Status: git status

Stage the Fix: git add <filename>

Complete: git commit (if merging) or git rebase --continue. (You can always use git rebase --abort to stop without breaking anything).

Security & Undoing Mistakes

The .env trick: If you forgot to add a .env file to your .gitignore and accidentally committed it, you can stop tracking it without deleting it from your computer using:
git rm --cached <file>

Going Back:

git checkout <commit-hash>: Moves your location. If you see "Detached HEAD," it just means your pointer isn't on the latest branch tip.

git reset --soft HEAD~1: Undoes the last commit but keeps changes in the staging area.

git reset --mixed: (Default) Undoes the commit and the stash (cache); code stays in your working directory.

git reset --hard: Dangerous. Reverts your directory to look exactly like an old commit; everything else is deleted.

The Secret Weapon: If you make a mistake with --hard, use git reflog. It’s like a recycle bin for your commits.

git revert: Creates a new commit that does the opposite of a previous commit to "undo" it safely.

"Finally figuring out that git commands are strangely named graph manipulation commands—creating/deleting nodes, moving pointers around." — Kent Beck

DEV Community: Beşir Can BARUTÇU