Everyday commands: status, diff, stash, log

Everyday Git commands should become automatic before you learn the fork workflow, because contributing adds more to keep track of. git status tells you which branch you are on and what changed. git diff shows changes you have not yet staged (marked for the next commit), and git diff --staged shows what you are about to commit.

git log --oneline --graph draws how branches relate. git stash puts unfinished work aside so you can switch branches cleanly, and git stash pop brings it back. git branch --all lists your local branches and the ones on the remote (the online copy).

Run git status before and after every command until you can predict its output. Most contributor mistakes, such as committing to the wrong branch or pushing unrelated files, are caught by one git status.