View source for Common Git Actions

This page collects some common actions during the interactions with a Git repository.

= Using Branch Descriptions in Git =
To set or edit the current branch description:
<source lang="bash">
$ git branch --edit-description
</source>
This will open your editor so that you can type down the description for whatever branch you’re on. Afterwards whenever you push your branch you will also push the description along with it.

= How to Merge a Feature Branch =

Make sure the receiving branch and the merging branch are up-to-date with the latest remote changes. Execute git fetch to pull the latest remote commits. Once the fetch is completed ensure the master branch has the latest updates by executing git pull.
<source lang="bash">
$ git fetch
$ git checkout master
$ git pull
</source>

Once the previously discussed "preparing to merge" steps have been taken a merge can be initiated by executing git merge <branch name> where <branch name> is the name of the branch that will be merged into the receiving branch.

The command below integrates the commits from feature/1234 into the current branch (master) with a fast-forward merge (see [https://git-scm.com/docs/git-merge https://git-scm.com/docs/git-merge]).

<source lang="bash">
$ git merge feature/1234
</source>

There might be conflicts to resolve among the files, but if everything goes well, the next step is to check that the commits are now on master with:
<source lang="bash">
$ git log
</source>

The last step is to push the commits to the remote repository:
<source lang="bash">
$ git push origin master
</source>

= How to contribute to a project via Pull Requests (PR) =

* Fork the upstream repository into a personal one from the Gitea interface
* Clone the personal repository
* commit/push to your personal repository, then you are ready to create a *pull request*

* From the web interface, go to your forked repository page and click on `pull request`
* From the command line, there is the `git request-pull` command (`git request-pull --help` for details)
* Or you can use the URL that the git command will output when you `git push`. Something like

<pre>
remote:
remote: Create a new pull request for 'andrea.dellamico:master':
remote:   https://code-repo.d4science.org/InfraScience/ansible-playbooks/compare/master...andrea.dellamico:master
remote:
</pre>

The above URL will get you directly to the pull request interface.

== How to work on your (forked) repository ==

1. If you already checked out the upstream and want to work on the fork instead.

<source lang="bash">
$ git remote rename origin upstream
$ git remote add origin YOUR_FORKED_REPOSITORY_URL
$ git fetch origin
$ git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/master master
</source>

At this point, your local branch master is tracking the remote branch master of the forked repository.

Make sure that you are on your master branch with: 
<source lang="bash">
$ git checkout master
</source>

Now you can make your changes and push them to the forked repo with:
<source lang="bash">
$ git push origin
</source>

2. If you are starting from a fresh clone of your fork

The private fork must be linked to the upstream one (this command must be executed once):
<source lang="bash">
$ git remote add upstream ORIGINAL_REPOSITORY_URL
</source>

Fetch all the branches of upstream into remote-tracking branches, such as upstream/master:
<source lang="bash">
$ git fetch upstream
</source>

Make sure that you are on your master branch: 
<source lang="bash">
$ git checkout master
</source>

Rewrite your master branch so that any commits of yours that aren't already in upstream/master are replayed on top of that other branch:
<source lang="bash">
$ git rebase upstream/master
</source>

Last, push to your fork: 
<source lang="bash">
$ git push origin master
</source>

If you want to to sync all the remote branches, run 
<source lang="bash">
$ git remote update
</source>

Pull the upstream changes into your forked repository
<source lang="bash">
$ git pull upstream master
</source>

''Back to the [[Continuous_Integration_procedure_(2019) | CI guide]].''