Your daily Git workflow
Read the project history
Use git log to inspect commits and understand how the project reached its current state.
8 minute lesson
The commit history tells you which snapshots exist and how they connect.
Start with a compact view:
git log --onelineEach line shows an abbreviated commit ID and its subject. The newest reachable commit appears first.
To see branch and tag names beside their commits, add decorations:
git log --oneline --decorate --graph --all--all asks Git to start from all local references, not only HEAD. --graph draws the parent relationships. It does not change history.
Inspect one commit in detail with:
git show --stat <commit-id>Then use git show <commit-id> to inspect its patch.
History is read-only, so these are safe commands when you feel lost. If a change seems to have disappeared after switching or resetting, inspect git log --all before trying another modifying command.
Exercise: find the commit that introduced one file. Read its message, parent, and patch. Can you explain the project state before and after it?
Lesson completed