World 0: Start Here

Getting help

You will learn: three quick ways to get help when you forget a command.

The problem

You forgot how a command works. It happens to everyone, even experts. Where do you look?

Watch

~/diary $ git commit -husage: git commit [<options>] [--] <pathspec>...    -m, --message <message>  commit message    -a, --all                commit all changed files    --amend                  amend previous commit    --no-edit                use the selected message without launching an editor

Add -h to a command for a short help. git commit -h lists the options for commit, right here in the terminal.

Watch

~/diary $ git help commitGIT-COMMIT(1)usage: git commit [<options>] [--] <pathspec>...    -m, --message <message>  commit message    -a, --all                commit all changed files    --amend                  amend previous commit    --no-edit                use the selected message without launching an editorFull manual: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-commit

git help commit opens the full manual for commit. It explains every option. On a Mac or Linux, press q to close it.

Predict

You only forgot the option for a commit message. Which help is fastest?

Predict

You want to learn everything git log can do. Which help fits best?

Try it

Ask Git for help with add. Pick either way.

Hint

Try git add -h. Or git help add.

Check

The FahamLah cheat sheet lists every command from this course. Find it in the top bar. You forgot how to see your history. Where do you look first?

You did it!

You can now get help for any Git command in seconds.

Go deeper (optional)

The full manual also lives online at git-scm.com/docs. git help -a lists every Git command. git help git explains Git itself. On Windows, git help opens the manual in your web browser.