What are your git aliases?

My aliases are either things I use regularly or things that I find useful on occasion and would otherwise have to look up every time. I've added explanatory comments to some of the less-obvious aliases.

[alias]
    # File changes
    ## gen-ignore <lang>: Outputs a .gitignore file for `lang` from gitignore.io to stdout.
    gen-ignore = "!_gi() { curl -L -s https://www.gitignore.io/api/$@ ;}; _gi"
    ## ignore/hard-ignore: See https://stackoverflow.com/a/13631525
    ignore = update-index --assume-unchanged
    unignore = update-index --no-assume-unchanged
    hard-ignore = update-index --skip-worktree
    hard-unignore = update-index --no-skip-worktree
    ## ls-ignored: Lists files marked with assume-unchanged.
    ls-ignored = !git ls-files -v | grep '^[[:lower:]]' | cut -c 3-
    ## ls-hard-ignored: Lists files marked with skip-worktree.
    ls-hard-ignored = !git ls-files -v | grep -i '^S' | cut -c 3-
    word-diff = diff --word-diff
    char-diff = diff --word-diff --word-diff-regex='([^[:alnum:]]|[^[:space:]])'
    ## drop [stash_args...]: Like `reset HEAD`, but changes are recoverable from the stash reflog. Forwards arguments to `stash push`.
    drop = "!_drop() { git stash push \"$@\" && git stash drop; }; _drop"
    stat = status --short --branch

    # Commits
    ## init-commit: Initializes the repo and creates an empty initial commit.
    init-commit = !git init && git commit --allow-empty -m \"Initial commit\" -m \"This commit intentionally left blank.\"
    amend = commit --amend --no-edit
    fixup = commit --fixup
    squash = commit --squash

    # Log
    graph = log --graph --oneline
    log-yesterday = log --since=yesterday.midnight --oneline

    # Branches
    pulre = pull --rebase
    ## push-new: Pushes the current branch to `origin` with the same name and sets up tracking.
    push-new = push -u origin HEAD
    push-lease = push --force-with-lease
    ## sq [base_branch]: Starts an interactive rebase from the base of the branch relative to `base_branch`
    ##                   (defaults to `master`; can be any ref) without applying changes on top of `base_branch`.
    sq = "!_sq() { git rebase --interactive --autosquash $(git merge-base HEAD ${1:-master}); }; _sq"

push-new can easily be rewritten to accept other remote names as arguments, and sq's default can be changed to use main or pull init.defaultBranch from the Git config instead of master.

I tend not to use too many short forms or have too many aliases because tab completion exists and I don't want to develop non-portable muscle memory.

Good timing this post!

I recreated my WSL space on my Windows 10, and I created some aliases for git and others commands.

aliases ga="git add"
aliases gc="git commit -m $1"
aliases gp="git push"
aliases gpu="git pull"

Great list! Will definitely add a few of these.

A few more that I like:

# oops, missed a file in prior commit
ca = commit --amend --no-edit
fa = fetch --all --prune
# IMO this option should be the default for force pushing
pf = push --force-with-lease
# thing you do for first push of a branch
pu = push -u origin HEAD
# create a WIP commit without running precommit
wip = commit -m\"WIP\" --no-verify
# "uncommit"
pop = reset HEAD^
# list branches by most recent commit
recent = for-each-ref --sort=-committerdate --count=30 --format='%(refname:short)' refs/heads/

wow… @tpenguinltg ’s stuff - that’s on a different level entirely (: can’t wait to try some of those!

i use many of the aliases shared by others regularly. one alias in particular saves me a ton of time daily:

#!/bin/bash

alias gmd=“git checkout development && git pull && git checkout - && git merge development”
alias push=“gmd && git push”

1. stashes any wd changes
2. checks out development/master/etc
3. pulls the latest
4. checks out the previous branch
5. merges the latest from the main (e.g. development), then lastly

It’s not strictly a git alias, i know, though you could prob make that work 🤷‍♂️ never tried 😉 useful nonetheless IMH

I use it anytime i’m done with a feature and need push and open a PR on main.

great post. inspiring stuff!

Here's some of mine that I've found useful over the years:

# Laziness typing out `git branch`
bb = branch --all
b = branch --show-current

# Less or more verbose `git status`
ss = status -b --short 
sl = status --long --ignored

# Show a nicely formatted tree-like git graph
h = log --graph --date-order --date=short --pretty=format:'%C(auto)%h%d %C(reset)%s %C(bold blue)%cn %C(reset)%C(green)%cr (%cd)'

# List all release tags and their commit hashes
tl = tag -l --sort=-creatordate --format='%(creatordate:short) | %(refname)'

# Delete all local changes
pristine = !git reset --hard && git clean -f

# When I need to answer the question of "who and when added this file?"
whenadded = log --diff-filter=A

# Delete all local branches where the remote branch already deleted (ex. after PRs are merged)
gone = "!git fetch -p && for b in $(git for-each-ref --format='%(if:equals=[gone])%(upstream:track)%(then)%(refname:short)%(end)' refs/heads); do git branch -D $b; done"

# Opposite of `git pristine`
wip = "git stash push -u -m "WIP"

I mostly just stick with these:

alias gdiff="git difftool"
alias gap="git add -p"

Everything else is longform because I prefer to be familiar with the most common commands in case i'm ever not on a computer that's mine.

The only one I sometimes configure is git s for status, but even that I usually just type out. One thing I did alias was merging current branch to our integration branch, which lets me easily chain either the push or the push and checkout $currb after it, or waiting for the CI pipeline to start before pushing.

Though I do sometimes think about aliasing m to merge --no-edit and ca to merge --amend --no-edit, because I often forget to add the no-edit param and get annoyed by the need to quit nano.

Great aliases you've got!
I have just one git alias at the moment and that is:

[alias]
    ## sign your commit message
    csm = commit -s -m

This comes very handy especially if you contribute to open source projects frequently.

Nice, thanks for sharing.
I would add some of my aliases

no-edit = commit --amend --no-edit
back = reset --soft HEAD~1
back2 = reset --soft HEAD~2
back3 = reset --soft HEAD~3

Well, my git alias list is not that long. It's like 8 lines which are for the most used git commands. And I don't have aliases for commands with different flags.
But that's the good thing about it, personalization rules.

I have only two aliases:

[alias]
    changes=!git fetch && git log --name-status HEAD..
    fire=git add . && git commit -m "OMG, FIRE" && git push

I don't believe using aliases is a good idea. I seldom use it even in my shell, but I prefer to leave it out entirely with applications that I might not be the only one using. And Git is definitely not something of which I'm the sole user, so avoiding aliases makes it much easier to remember the full commands as they would be available for my friends and colleagues if I need to help them out, or if I'll be writing documentation on how we're doing certain processes.

In those cases I think using an alias will cause more harm than good, and so I avoid them. The extra keystrokes are not an issue for me, as I'm a slow thinker anyways, haha.

[alias]
        line = log --oneline
        st = status -sb
        last = log -1 HEAD --stat
        fap = fetch --all --prune
        cb = checkout -b
        gc-full = gc --prune=now --aggressive
        search = "!f() { s=\"$1\"; shift; if (( $# > 0 )); then set -- @; fi; git rev-list \"$@\" | xargs git grep \"$s\" ; }; f"
        changed-files = "!f() { git log --name-only --pretty=oneline --full-index \"$1\" | grep -vE '^[0-9a-f]{40}'|sort|uniq;}; f"
        push-new = !git push -u upstream $(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref @)

Also, for work specifically, my company works on GitHub, and I have a bash script to easily create a new PR from the current branch.

#!/bin/bash

set -eu

declare -r UPSTREAM_NAME=upstream
declare MERGE_BRANCH=main

declare -r BRANCH=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)

declare UPSTREAM_URL=$(git remote get-url upstream)
UPSTREAM_URL=$(echo "$UPSTREAM_URL" | sed -E -e 's|^git@|https://|' -e 's|.com:|.com/|' -e 's/.git$//')

MERGE_BRANCH=${1:-$MERGE_BRANCH}

declare -r PR_URL="${UPSTREAM_URL}/compare/${MERGE_BRANCH}...${BRANCH}?expand=1"

echo $PR_URL
open $PR_URL

I name it git-new-pr, and add it to my $PATH. Then, I can call git new-pr, and it'll automatically open up a page for a new PR in my browser.

This script is for macOS. So, the last line opens the URL in the default browser. If using Linux, this could be xdg-open $PR_URL. Also, a specific browser could be specified.

Most people would just use the GitHub cli for this, but I've never bothered installing it, and this works really well.

The thing that confuses is that alias set is very uneven in sense of pressings. If you press something on keyboard, you anyway press some sequences, and all git commands start with "git " - already 4 presses... After it, difference, for example, between "git br" = "git branch -r" and "git b -r" where "b" is already aliased as "branch" is nearly void, compared with any other difference. This suggests the alias set is accrued historically without substantial reconcerning.

Alias "db" is dangerous. I prefer to write such actions only explicitly. Same for "op": it's normal to refer to something done a few days ago, and for "vc". (BTW do you use IDE? Something like "git clean -dfx -e .vscode" would be better.)

What is use case for "search"?

"last" could be extended with "--stat" to show changes, because anyway only a single commit is printed.

OTOH, it clearly exposes some manners and developing approaches - as presence of "main" and "devel" branches. For me, it showed some features I was unaware or forgot them due to standing out of usual habits... thanks for this.

Formatting was broken - e.g. what is "git alias" is unparseable (seems the website markdown was active). If it allows editing the post, please reconsider.

To compare, my typical set (with comments):

Maybe more specific to my manner, but it is typical to cache only some changes among ones in file (others could be for later commits, not committed as debug, etc.) - just interactive mode is not enough. Git's recalculating of chunk line count works well enough.

In rebase, sometimes it is needed to see full patch to apply now.

Just shortening for all branch related commands.

"current branch" in an easy solitary way.

To adjust the last commit with catch-up changes.

Habitual from previous VCSes. To edit commit message is more useful because it never should be one-liner in a final version.

Obviously needed before commit is created from parts.

Maybe "cp -n", etc. is enough but often used in some flows.

    lggo = log --graph --oneline
    lg = log --graph
    lgf = log --graph --pretty=fuller --topo-order
    lgs = log --graph --stat
    logf = log --pretty=fuller --topo-order
    lpf = log -M -p --pretty=fuller
    lp = log -M -p
    lss = log -M --shortstat
    lstf = log -M --stat --pretty=fuller --topo-order
    lst = log -M --stat
    lggo = log --graph --oneline
    lg = log --graph
    lgf = log --graph --pretty=fuller --topo-order
    lgs = log --graph --stat
    logf = log --pretty=fuller --topo-order
    lpf = log -M -p --pretty=fuller
    lp = log -M -p
    lss = log -M --shortstat
    lstf = log -M --stat --pretty=fuller --topo-order
    lst = log -M --stat

Convenience for log view styles.

    pura = pull --rebase --autostash

For some flows, merge is impossible - it's required to actualize the working state regularly.

    rba = rebase --abort
    rbas = rebase --autostash
    rbc = rebase --continue
    rbi = rebase -i
    rbias = rebase -i --autostash
    rbs = rebase --skip

Interactive rebase helpers in different styles to keep propositions clear.

    startempty = commit --allow-empty -m 'Initial empty'

Rare but... for a new work, having basic empty commit is crucial to keep the first commit clear. Otherwise, complex dances with filtering are needed. (I'm wondering why it is not in Git base logic.)

I'd also note some crucial settings out of aliases:

merge.conflictstyle=diff3

To show base version for a conflict - crucial both for a human and automatic merging tools.

pager.status=true

Otherwise some tools avoid paging.

push.default=simple

Never push many-to-many without an explicit specification in a command.

pull.ff=only

Useful default to minimize underwater pull effects.

Sorry to be a Party Pooper!!
But why not use ZSH with the Oh ZSH add-on and it's various plugins. ohmyz.sh/

Even posted on Dev.to
dev.to/0xkoji/do-you-know-oh-my-zs...