Introduction to Git Aliases

Last Updated : 08 Jul, 2024

Git is a tool for version control, but its commands can sometimes be long and difficult to type repeatedly. That's where Git aliases come in. Aliases allow you to create shortcuts for commonly used commands, making your workflow faster and more efficient. In this article, we'll introduce you to Git aliases, show you how to set them up, and provide examples of some useful aliases.

What are Git Aliases?

A Git alias is a shorthand for a Git command or series of commands. By creating an alias, you can replace a lengthy command with a short and memorable abbreviation. This not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors when typing commands.

For example, instead of typing git status every time you want to check the status of your repository, you could create an alias like gs to achieve the same result.

Why Use Git Aliases?

Efficiency: Save time by reducing the amount of typing needed.
Consistency: Ensure you use the same commands consistently across different projects.
Customization: Tailor your Git experience to suit your specific workflow.
Ease of Use: Simplify complex commands into straightforward ones.

Types of Git Aliases

A Git alias can be either local or global. A local alias is defined for a particular git repository whereas a global alias can be used in any repository. If you create an alias inside a git repository without the global flag, then the alias will be local by default i.e. it can be used in the current repository only. Alias created with global flags can be used in any git repository.

Creating Git Aliases

Creating Git aliases is straightforward. You can set them up in your .gitconfig file or by using Git commands directly in the terminal.

Method 1: Using Git Config

Here aliases co, br, ci, and st were created globally for the commands checkout, branch, commit, and status respectively.

If the tag "--global" isn't used then the aliases will be local by default.

git config --global alias.<custom_command_name> <original_command Name>

$ git config --global alias.co checkout
$ git config --global alias.br branch
$ git config --global alias.ci commit
$ git config --global alias.st status

Method 2: Editing Git Config Files Directly

You can manually edit the .gitconfig files to create aliases. Global aliases are stored in the global .gitconfig file (located in the user’s home directory on Linux), while local aliases reside in the .git/config file within the repository.

The contents of the config file are as shown below. The file contains various information like user email, name, alias, etc. After creating aliases they will be listed under the alias header. One can insert aliases under the [alias] header manually.

Let us take an example to understand how git aliases work. Let's say we have a repository Power-Puff-Girls, having 3 branches.

git branches — Introduction to Git Aliases

So here we've used the command "git br" which works the same as "git branch" command listing the branch present in the repository. Note that we can still use the "git branch" Aliases can also be used to create a new command from a sequence of git commands.

Example:

Here we have combined reset and HEAD commands to create a new git command. Both the commands, "git unstaged app.css" and "git reset HEAD -- app.css" are equivalent.

git config --global alias.unstage 'reset HEAD --'

Method 3: Using Aliases To Create New Git Commands

By using the git aliases command we can create custom commands that execute a series of git commands and can perform specific actions. You can add the command or any other URLs any thins by using the alias command as shown below:

Create a new branch with a customized name:

You can use the alias name that you want to give to the command and the name of the command.

alias <name> ='<command name>'

Examples:

Git commits and push can be done in one command and you can create a shortcut instead of using the full command by using an alias command.

alias gcp='git commit -m "Work in progress." && git push origin HEAD'

Examples of Useful Git Aliases

Here are some examples of common Git aliases that can enhance your productivity:

1. Status Alias

Instead of typing git status, you can use:

git config --global alias.st 'status'

Now, simply type git st to check your repository status.

2. Log Alias

Viewing the commit history with git log can be made easier with an alias:

git config --global alias.lg 'log --oneline --graph --all'

This alias (git lg) shows a concise, graphical representation of the commit history.

3. Checkout Alias

Switching branches frequently? Simplify git checkout with:

git config --global alias.co 'checkout'

Now, use git co [branch-name] to switch branches quickly.

4. Commit Alias

For making commits with a short message, use:

git config --global alias.ci 'commit -m'

This allows you to commit changes with git ci "your message".

5. Add Alias

Staging files for commit can be shortened from git add to:

git config --global alias.a 'add'

Use git a [file-name] to add files to the staging area.

6. Push Alias

Pushing changes to the remote repository can be abbreviated from git push to:

git config --global alias.psh 'push'

Use git psh to push your changes.

Benefits Git Aliases

Git aliases can make you a faster and more efficient developer as they can save you a lot of keystrokes in the long run. For example, git commit is a frequently used command, using git ci every time instead of git commit is going to save a few keystrokes.
It makes the command look simpler and clearer.

Introduction to Git Aliases

DeeptiSingh

Improve

Article Tags :

Introduction to Git Aliases

What are Git Aliases?

Why Use Git Aliases?

Types of Git Aliases

Creating Git Aliases

Method 1: Using Git Config

Method 2: Editing Git Config Files Directly

Method 3: Using Aliases To Create New Git Commands

Examples of Useful Git Aliases

1. Status Alias

2. Log Alias

3. Checkout Alias

4. Commit Alias

5. Add Alias

6. Push Alias

Benefits Git Aliases

Similar Reads