toc-source.json

[
  {
    "Name": "Miscellaneous & Orphaned Git Commands",
    "category": "Miscellaneous",
    "short_description": "Useful Git commands and scripts not referenced elsewhere.",
    "long_description": "This file collects useful Git commands and scripts that were previously only in the README and not referenced elsewhere in this repository.",
    "tags": ["misc", "cleanup", "advanced"],
    "author": "mike-rambil",
    "last_updated": "2024-06-10",
    "subtoc": [
      {
        "Name": "git maintenance start",
        "category": "Maintenance",
        "short_description": "Runs a cronJob in background for the specified repo for periodic maintenance.",
        "command": "git maintenance start",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git maintenance start",
            "description": "Enable background maintenance for your repository."
          }
        ],
        "steps": ["Run `git maintenance start` in your repository."],
        "links": [
          {
            "label": "Official Docs",
            "url": "https://git-scm.com/docs/git-maintenance"
          }
        ],
        "tags": ["maintenance", "automation"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "git request-pull",
        "category": "Collaboration",
        "short_description": "Generate a request to pull changes into a repository.",
        "command": "git request-pull <start> <url> <end>",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git request-pull v1.0 https://github.com/example/repo.git v1.1",
            "description": "Generate a pull request message from v1.0 to v1.1."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "Run `git request-pull <start> <url> <end>` to generate a pull request message."
        ],
        "links": [
          {
            "label": "Official Docs",
            "url": "https://git-scm.com/docs/git-request-pull"
          }
        ],
        "tags": ["collaboration", "pull-request"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "View and Clean Up Local Git Branches (Bash)",
        "category": "Branch Management",
        "short_description": "Scripts to view and clean up local branches using Bash.",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git branch -vv | grep -E '^\\s*\\S+\\s+[^\\[]+$'",
            "description": "List local branches without a remote connection."
          },
          {
            "code": "git branch -vv | grep -E '^\\s*\\S+\\s+[^\\[]+$' | awk '{print $1}' | xargs git branch -D",
            "description": "Delete local branches without remote tracking."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "List local branches.",
          "Delete local branches without remote.",
          "View branches with deleted remote.",
          "Delete stale local branches."
        ],
        "warnings": [
          "Deleting branches is irreversible. Double-check before running destructive commands."
        ],
        "tags": ["branches", "cleanup", "bash"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "View and Clean Up Local Git Branches (PowerShell)",
        "category": "Branch Management",
        "short_description": "Scripts to view and clean up local branches using PowerShell.",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git branch -vv | Select-String -NotMatch \"origin/\"",
            "description": "List local branches without a remote connection."
          },
          {
            "code": "git branch -vv | Select-String -NotMatch \"origin/\" | ForEach-Object { $branch = ($_ -split \"\\s+\")[1]; git branch -D $branch }",
            "description": "Delete local branches without remote tracking."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "List local branches.",
          "Delete local branches without remote.",
          "View branches with deleted remote.",
          "Delete stale local branches."
        ],
        "warnings": [
          "Deleting branches is irreversible. Double-check before running destructive commands."
        ],
        "tags": ["branches", "cleanup", "powershell"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "Name": "Git Command Reference (Full List)",
    "category": "Reference",
    "short_description": "A comprehensive list of Git commands used in this project.",
    "long_description": "A comprehensive list of Git commands used in this project, formatted according to our standard.",
    "tags": ["reference", "all-commands"],
    "author": "mike-rambil",
    "last_updated": "2024-06-10",
    "subtoc": [
      {
        "Name": "git init --bare",
        "category": "Repository Management",
        "short_description": "Initialize a bare repository, typically used for remote repositories.",
        "command": "git init --bare my-repo.git",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git init --bare my-repo.git",
            "description": "Create a bare repository for collaboration."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "Run `git init --bare my-repo.git` to create a bare repository."
        ],
        "tags": ["init", "bare", "repository"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "git clone --mirror <repository>",
        "category": "Repository Management",
        "short_description": "Clone a repository in mirror mode, including all refs and branches.",
        "command": "git clone --mirror https://github.com/example/repo.git",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git clone --mirror https://github.com/example/repo.git",
            "description": "Create a full backup or migration of a repository."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "Run `git clone --mirror <repository>` to create a full backup or migration."
        ],
        "tags": ["clone", "mirror", "backup"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "Name": "Useful Rare Git Commands You Never Heard Of",
    "category": "Advanced",
    "short_description": "A collection of lesser-known but powerful Git commands.",
    "long_description": "A collection of lesser-known but powerful Git commands. Use these to level up your Git workflow!",
    "tags": ["rare", "advanced", "tips"],
    "author": "mike-rambil",
    "last_updated": "2024-06-10",
    "subtoc": [
      {
        "Name": "git replace <old-commit> <new-commit>",
        "category": "History",
        "short_description": "Temporarily substitute one commit for another.",
        "command": "git replace abc123 def456",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git replace abc123 def456",
            "description": "Temporarily replace commit abc123 with def456."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "Run `git replace <old-commit> <new-commit>` to test or patch history."
        ],
        "tags": ["replace", "history"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "Name": "How to Use git push --force-with-lease Safely",
    "category": "Collaboration",
    "short_description": "Safely force-push to a branch without overwriting others' work.",
    "long_description": "Guide to using `git push --force-with-lease` to avoid overwriting others' work when force-pushing.",
    "command": "git push --force-with-lease",
    "examples": [
      {
        "code": "git push --force-with-lease",
        "description": "Safely force-push your changes."
      }
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Fetch the latest changes: `git fetch origin`",
      "Push with lease: `git push --force-with-lease`",
      "If rejected, pull and rebase: `git pull --rebase origin main`",
      "Resolve conflicts, commit, and retry push"
    ],
    "prerequisites": ["You must have permission to push to the branch."],
    "warnings": [
      "Never use `--force` unless you are sure. Prefer `--force-with-lease`."
    ],
    "links": [
      {
        "label": "Medium Article",
        "url": "https://medium.com/@sahilsahilbhatia/git-push-force-with-lease-vs-force-ecae72601e80"
      }
    ],
    "tags": ["push", "force", "safe"],
    "author": "mike-rambil",
    "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
  },
  {
    "Name": "Past commits of a specific file",
    "category": "History and Inspection",
    "short_description": "See all commits and changes for a specific file.",
    "long_description": "You can see all commits related to a specific file using Git commands. Here are a few ways to do it:",
    "tags": ["history", "inspection", "file"],
    "author": "mike-rambil",
    "last_updated": "2024-06-10",
    "subtoc": [
      {
        "Name": "Show Commit History of a Specific File",
        "category": "History",
        "command": "git log --oneline -- filename.txt",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git log --oneline -- filename.txt",
            "description": "List all commits that modified `filename.txt`."
          }
        ],
        "steps": ["Lists all commits that modified `filename.txt`."],
        "tags": ["log", "file", "history"],
        "related_commands": [
          "git log -p -- filename.txt",
          "git blame filename.txt"
        ],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "Show Detailed Commit History (With Changes)",
        "category": "History",
        "command": "git log -p -- filename.txt",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git log -p -- filename.txt",
            "description": "Show each commit and the actual changes made to `filename.txt`."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "Shows each commit and the actual changes made to `filename.txt`."
        ],
        "tags": ["log", "diff", "file"],
        "related_commands": ["git log --oneline -- filename.txt"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "Show Commit History With Author and Date",
        "category": "History",
        "command": "git log --pretty=format:\"%h - %an, %ar : %s\" -- filename.txt",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git log --pretty=format:\"%h - %an, %ar : %s\" -- filename.txt",
            "description": "Display commit hash, author, relative date, and commit message."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "Displays commit hash, author, relative date, and commit message."
        ],
        "tags": ["log", "author", "date"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "See Who Last Modified Each Line (Blame)",
        "category": "History",
        "command": "git blame filename.txt",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git blame filename.txt",
            "description": "Show the last commit that changed each line of the file."
          }
        ],
        "steps": ["Shows the last commit that changed each line of the file."],
        "tags": ["blame", "file", "history"],
        "warnings": [
          "Blame can be misleading if the file has been heavily refactored."
        ],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "Name": "Git Clean: Remove Untracked Files and Directories",
    "category": "Stashing and Cleaning",
    "short_description": "Remove untracked files and directories from your repository.",
    "long_description": "`git clean` is a powerful command that helps remove untracked files and directories from your repository. It is particularly useful when you want to reset your working directory without affecting committed files.",
    "command": "git clean",
    "flags": {
      "-n": "Shows what will be deleted without actually deleting anything.",
      "-f": "Forces deletion of untracked files.",
      "-d": "Deletes untracked directories.",
      "-i": "Interactive mode to selectively delete files.",
      "-x": "Removes ignored and untracked files.",
      "-X": "Removes only ignored files."
    },
    "examples": [
      {
        "code": "git clean -n -d",
        "description": "Preview what will be deleted (dry run)."
      },
      {
        "code": "git clean -f",
        "description": "Delete all untracked files."
      },
      {
        "code": "git clean -f -d",
        "description": "Delete all untracked files and directories."
      },
      {
        "code": "git clean -i",
        "description": "Interactive mode for selective deletion."
      }
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Preview deletions: `git clean -n -d`",
      "Delete untracked files: `git clean -f`",
      "Delete untracked files and directories: `git clean -f -d`",
      "Interactive deletion: `git clean -i`",
      "Remove ignored and untracked files: `git clean -f -x`",
      "Remove only ignored files: `git clean -f -X`"
    ],
    "prerequisites": ["Make sure you have committed all important changes."],
    "warnings": [
      "This will permanently delete files! Always use `-n` before `-f`.",
      "Be cautious with `-x` and `-X` as they remove ignored files, which might include config files."
    ],
    "links": [
      { "label": "Official Docs", "url": "https://git-scm.com/docs/git-clean" }
    ],
    "tags": ["clean", "untracked", "workspace"],
    "author": "mike-rambil",
    "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
  },
  {
    "Name": "How to Use git worktree Safely",
    "category": "Worktree",
    "short_description": "Work on multiple branches simultaneously without switching.",
    "long_description": "`git worktree` allows you to manage multiple working directories linked to a single Git repository. It helps developers work on multiple branches simultaneously without switching branches in the same directory.",
    "tags": ["worktree", "branches", "advanced"],
    "author": "mike-rambil",
    "last_updated": "2024-06-10",
    "subtoc": [
      {
        "Name": "Check Existing Worktrees",
        "category": "Worktree",
        "command": "git worktree list",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git worktree list",
            "description": "List all active worktrees."
          }
        ],
        "steps": ["List all active worktrees."],
        "tags": ["worktree", "list"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "Create a New Worktree",
        "category": "Worktree",
        "command": "git worktree add <path> <branch>",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git worktree add ../feature-branch feature",
            "description": "Create a new worktree for the feature branch."
          }
        ],
        "steps": ["Create a worktree linked to a specific branch."],
        "prerequisites": [
          "The target path must not already be a git repository."
        ],
        "tags": ["worktree", "add"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "Remove a Worktree",
        "category": "Worktree",
        "command": "git worktree remove <worktree-path>",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git worktree remove ../feature-branch",
            "description": "Detach a worktree without deleting the files."
          }
        ],
        "steps": ["Detach a worktree without deleting the files."],
        "warnings": [
          "Make sure you have committed all changes before removing a worktree."
        ],
        "tags": ["worktree", "remove"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "Switch Between Worktrees",
        "category": "Worktree",
        "command": "cd <worktree-path>",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "cd ../feature-branch",
            "description": "Switch to the worktree directory."
          }
        ],
        "steps": ["Simply cd into the worktree directory to switch."],
        "tags": ["worktree", "switch"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "Use Worktrees for Temporary Fixes",
        "category": "Worktree",
        "command": "git worktree add ../hotfix hotfix-branch",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git worktree add ../hotfix hotfix-branch",
            "description": "Quickly apply a fix on another branch without leaving your main branch."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "Quickly apply a fix on another branch without leaving your main branch."
        ],
        "tags": ["worktree", "hotfix"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "Flags and Their Uses",
        "flags": {
          "add": "Creates a new worktree for an existing branch.",
          "-b": "Creates a new worktree with a new branch.",
          "list": "Lists all active worktrees.",
          "remove": "Detaches a worktree from the repo without deleting files.",
          "prune": "Cleans up stale worktree references after manual deletion.",
          "move": "Moves a worktree to a different location."
        },
        "tags": ["worktree", "flags"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "Name": "Sharing Changes as Patch Files",
    "category": "Patch & Diff",
    "short_description": "Generate and share patch files for committed or uncommitted changes.",
    "long_description": "How to create patch files from your changes for sharing via email, SCP, Slack, or other means. Covers both committed (with full commit metadata) and uncommitted changes.",
    "tags": ["patch", "diff", "sharing", "email", "collaboration"],
    "author": "mike-rambil",
    "last_updated": "2024-06-10",
    "subtoc": [
      {
        "Name": "Create Patch from Last Commit(s)",
        "category": "Patch & Diff",
        "command": "git format-patch HEAD~1",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git format-patch HEAD~1",
            "description": "Create a .patch file for the last commit."
          },
          {
            "code": "git format-patch origin/main..HEAD --stdout > my-changes.patch",
            "description": "Create a single patch file for all commits on top of main."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "Run 'git format-patch HEAD~1' to create a patch for the last commit.",
          "Use 'git format-patch origin/main..HEAD --stdout > my-changes.patch' to create a single patch file for multiple commits."
        ],
        "warnings": [
          "Patch files created this way include commit messages, authorship, and timestamps.",
          "Use 'git am' to apply these patches on another system."
        ],
        "tags": ["patch", "format-patch", "committed"],
        "links": [
          {
            "label": "Official Docs",
            "url": "https://git-scm.com/docs/git-format-patch"
          }
        ],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "Apply Patch with Commit Metadata",
        "category": "Patch & Diff",
        "command": "git am my-changes.patch",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git am my-changes.patch",
            "description": "Apply a patch file and preserve commit info."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "Run 'git am my-changes.patch' to apply the patch and preserve commit messages, authorship, and timestamps."
        ],
        "tags": ["patch", "am", "apply"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "Create Patch from Uncommitted Changes",
        "category": "Patch & Diff",
        "command": "git diff > changes.diff",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git diff > changes.diff",
            "description": "Create a diff file of uncommitted changes."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "Run 'git diff > changes.diff' to save uncommitted changes to a file."
        ],
        "warnings": [
          "This does NOT preserve commit metadata or history—just raw changes."
        ],
        "tags": ["diff", "uncommitted", "snapshot"],
        "links": [
          {
            "label": "Official Docs",
            "url": "https://git-scm.com/docs/git-diff"
          }
        ],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "Apply Diff File",
        "category": "Patch & Diff",
        "command": "git apply changes.diff",
        "examples": [
          {
            "code": "git apply changes.diff",
            "description": "Apply a diff file of uncommitted changes."
          }
        ],
        "steps": [
          "Run 'git apply changes.diff' to apply the changes from a diff file."
        ],
        "tags": ["diff", "apply", "uncommitted"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      },
      {
        "Name": "Patch vs Diff: Quick Reference",
        "category": "Patch & Diff",
        "long_description": "| Command | Use Case | Preserves Commit Info? | Can Apply With |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| git diff > file.diff | Share uncommitted changes | ❌ | git apply |\n| git format-patch > file.patch | Share committed changes | ✅ | git am |",
        "tags": ["patch", "diff", "reference"],
        "author": "mike-rambil",
        "last_updated": "2024-06-10"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "Name": "Pull Changes of Specific Files from a Commit",
    "category": "Selective File Restore",
    "short_description": "Restore or pull changes for specific files from a past commit without reverting the entire commit.",
    "long_description": "How to use git to pull or restore changes for only certain files from a specific commit, without affecting the rest of your working directory or reverting the whole commit. Useful for cherry-picking file-level changes.",
    "command": "git checkout <commit-hash> -- <file1> <file2>",
    "examples": [
      {
        "code": "git checkout e8ab7f64fdfcc7bdaaed8d96c0ac26dce035663f -- path/to/file1.txt path/to/file2.txt",
        "description": "Restore file1.txt and file2.txt from the specified commit."
      },
      {
        "code": "git add path/to/file1.txt path/to/file2.txt\ngit commit -m \"Pulled changes for file1.txt and file2.txt from commit e8ab7f64\"\ngit push origin revert/productionOrder",
        "description": "Stage, commit, and push the restored files to a new branch."
      }
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Checkout the specific files from the desired commit using 'git checkout <commit-hash> -- <file1> <file2>'.",
      "Stage the changes with 'git add <file1> <file2>'.",
      "Commit the changes with a descriptive message.",
      "Push your branch and create a pull request if needed."
    ],
    "warnings": [
      "This will overwrite the current working directory versions of the specified files.",
      "Make sure to commit or stash any local changes to those files before running the command."
    ],
    "tags": ["checkout", "restore", "file", "commit", "cherry-pick"],
    "author": "mike-rambil",
    "last_updated": "2024-06-10",
    "links": [
      {
        "label": "Git Docs: git checkout",
        "url": "https://git-scm.com/docs/git-checkout"
      }
    ]
  }
]