**Course Title:** Version Control Systems: Mastering Git **Section Title:** Getting Started with Git **Topic:** Basic Git commands: init, clone, add, commit, status ### Introduction In the previous topics, we introduced you to version control systems and explored the benefits of using Git. Now that we have a solid understanding of the fundamentals, it's time to dive into the practical aspects of using Git. In this topic, we will cover the basic Git commands that you need to get started with Git. We'll explore the commands `init`, `clone`, `add`, `commit`, and `status`, and provide examples to help you understand how to use them effectively. ### Git Command 1: Init The `git init` command is used to initialize a new Git repository in your project directory. When you run this command, Git creates a new `.git` directory in your project root, which contains all the necessary metadata for the new repository. **Example:** Let's say you have a new project called `my_project` that you want to initialize as a Git repository. Here's how you would use the `git init` command: ```bash $ mkdir my_project $ cd my_project $ git init Initialized empty Git repository in /path/to/my_project/.git/ ``` **Further Reading:** For more information on `git init`, you can check out the official Git documentation: [https://git-scm.com/docs/git-init](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-init) ### Git Command 2: Clone The `git clone` command is used to create a copy of an existing Git repository. When you run this command, Git creates a new directory containing the repository's files and all the necessary metadata. **Example:** Let's say you want to clone a repository from GitHub. Here's how you would use the `git clone` command: ```bash $ git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git Cloning into 'repo'... remote: Enumerating objects: 13, done. remote: Counting objects: 100% (13/13), done. remote: Compressing objects: 100% (5/5), done. remote: Total 13 (delta 0), reused 10 (delta 0), pack-reused 0 Receiving objects: 100% (13/13), done. ``` **Further Reading:** For more information on `git clone`, you can check out the official Git documentation: [https://git-scm.com/docs/git-clone](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-clone) ### Git Command 3: Add The `git add` command is used to stage changes in your working directory. When you run this command, Git adds the changes to the staging area, where they will be included in the next commit. **Example:** Let's say you have made some changes to a file called `hello.txt` and you want to stage those changes. Here's how you would use the `git add` command: ```bash $ git add hello.txt ``` **Further Reading:** For more information on `git add`, you can check out the official Git documentation: [https://git-scm.com/docs/git-add](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-add) ### Git Command 4: Commit The `git commit` command is used to commit changes from the staging area to the repository. When you run this command, Git creates a new commit with a descriptive message. **Example:** Let's say you want to commit the changes you staged in the previous step. Here's how you would use the `git commit` command: ```bash $ git commit -m "Initial commit" [master (root-commit) c3c73d8] Initial commit 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+) create mode 100644 hello.txt ``` **Further Reading:** For more information on `git commit`, you can check out the official Git documentation: [https://git-scm.com/docs/git-commit](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-commit) ### Git Command 5: Status The `git status` command is used to view the status of your repository. When you run this command, Git displays the current branch, any untracked files, and any changes that are staged or unstaged. **Example:** Let's say you want to view the status of your repository. Here's how you would use the `git status` command: ```bash $ git status On branch master nothing to commit, working directory clean ``` **Further Reading:** For more information on `git status`, you can check out the official Git documentation: [https://git-scm.com/docs/git-status](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-status) ### Conclusion In this topic, we covered the basic Git commands: `init`, `clone`, `add`, `commit`, and `status`. These commands are essential for getting started with Git and are used frequently in your workflow. With this knowledge, you're ready to start using Git to manage your projects. **Practice Time:** Try out the Git commands we covered in this topic to get a feel for how they work. Initialize a new repository, clone an existing one, and make some changes to files to explore the staging area and commit process. **What's Next?** In the next topic, we'll explore the Git directory structure, including the working directory, staging area, and repository. This will give you a deeper understanding of how Git stores and manages your files. Do you have any questions about the basic Git commands? Let us know in the comments below.