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Git: Commands I Actually Use

Not a full reference — just the things I reach for regularly, including the recovery stuff I always forget.

Branch management​

git branch                          # list branches
git checkout -b feature-name        # create + switch
git checkout main                   # switch to main
git branch -d feature-name          # delete (safe)
git push origin --delete branch     # delete remote

Undoing things​

Undo the last commit (keep changes staged)​

git reset --soft HEAD^

Undo the last commit (unstage changes)​

git reset HEAD^

Hard reset to a specific commit (destructive)​

git reset --hard <commit-hash>
git push origin <branch> --force

Real example from my workflow:

git log
git reset --hard d37c4bb36ebbb03e0f3beccb72418e153bf7b367
git push origin feat-country-comparison --force

Fix last commit message​

git commit --amend -m "feat(cards): implement auto debit limit feature"

Abort a merge in progress​

git merge --abort

Working with feature branches off release​

git fetch origin
git checkout -b feature-name origin/release
git push origin feature-name

Submodules (I always forget this)​

git submodule init
git submodule update

Move / rename files (tracks history)​

git mv src/old-name.ts src/new-name.ts