Shortcuts using aliases in Git

When working with Git, there are some steps that we should be doing all the time. What about making a single command alias that will cycle through all these commands just so we know things are always in good shape? Yup, we can do that.

In Bash

Using Git and Bash is like using a zipper and pants – they just go together. Creating a Bash alias is extremely simple. From your Terminal, enter:

$ open ~/.bash_profile

This will open a hidden file in a default text editor. If you have a shortcut command for opening in an editor (like Sublime Text or VS Code), use that to open the file. Add the following into the file:

alias refresh="git checkout master && dskil && git pull && git fetch -p"

The alias dskil is useful for removing annoying .DS_Store files. You should have a .gitignore file that keeps these out of version control, but I like to keep a clean house too. To make that work, add the following:

alias dskil="find . -name '*.DS_Store' -type f -delete"

With this in your .bash_profile, you simply need to enter refresh in the command line and POW!

In Powershell

If you are using Powershell on Windows, you can use the same aliases, but the set up will be different.

For more in-depth learning on Git, I invite you to read the Git book; it’s free and contains awesome learning.