Add "Modern Git for Modern Times" post (#42)

Author: arturdryomov

content/posts/2025-10-17-modern-git.md

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+---
+title: "Modern Git for Modern Times"
+description: "Modern problems require modern solutions"
+date: "2025-10-17"
+slug: "modern-git"
+---
+
+Git has been around for a long time — since April 2005. That’s 20 years!
+Fun fact — [Bazaar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Bazaar) and
+[Mercurial](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercurial) were released around the same time as Git.
+Not so fun facts — during this time
+[Atlassian removed the Mercurial support from Bitbucket](https://www.atlassian.com/blog/bitbucket/sunsetting-mercurial-support-in-bitbucket)
+and [Canonical retired Bazaar altogether](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/phasing-out-bazaar-code-hosting/62189).
+Meanwhile, GitHub and GitLab are alive and well — safe to say, Git is here to stay.
+In fact, we might see [Git 3.0](https://git-scm.com/docs/BreakingChanges#_git_3_0) soon — a new version for the new decade.
+
+But what about new features? Surely there’s something useful for day-to-day workflows, right?
+
+# Switch Branches
+
+`git checkout` does the trick — but it’s much more than a branch switching tool.
+Take a look at [the `man` page](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-checkout):
+
+> Updates files in the working tree to match the version in the index or the specified tree.
+> If no pathspec was given, `git checkout` will also update `HEAD` to set the specified branch as the current branch.
+
+Kinda a mouthful, right?
+`git switch` is an alternative with a more focused scope.
+Take a look at [the `man` page](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-switch):
+
+> Switch to a specified branch. The working tree and the index are updated to match the branch.
+> All new commits will be added to the tip of this branch.
+
+Simple and straightforward! To switch a branch (FYI — it auto-tracks remote branches):
+
+```console
+$ git switch BRANCH
+```
+
+To create and switch a branch in one go:
+
+```console
+$ git switch --create BRANCH
+```
+
+> :information_source: `git switch` is experimental from [v2.23](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.23.0.adoc) (August 2019),
+> stable from [v2.51](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.51.0.adoc) (August 2025).
+
+# Push Branches
+
+Attempting to push a local branch results in a helpful message:
+
+```console
+$ git push BRANCH
+
+fatal: The current branch BRANCH has no upstream branch.
+To push the current branch and set the remote as upstream, use
+
+    git push --set-upstream origin BRANCH
+
+To have this happen automatically for branches without a tracking
+upstream, see 'push.autoSetupRemote' in 'git help config'.
+```
+
+Git advertising [a new feature](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-config#Documentation/git-config.txt-pushautoSetupRemote)? Amazing!
+Unfortunately, with all the noise these days, it's easy to miss.
+It does work though — changing the config instructs Git to set upstream on its own:
+
+```console
+$ git config --global push.autoSetupRemote true
+```
+
+> :information_source: `push.autoSetupRemote` is available from [v2.37](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.37.0.adoc) (June 2022).
+
+# Compare Changes
+
+`git diff` is good, but it can be better — especilly when it comes to the _move_ kind of changes.
+
+There is [a diff option](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-config#Documentation/git-config.txt-diffcolorMoved) for this, disabled by default:
+
+```console
+$ git config --global diff.colorMoved true
+```
+
+When configured, the diff output uses different colors to highlight moved content —
+magenta (`tput` color #5) instead of red (#1) and cyan (#6) instead of green (#2).
+Additions and deletions keep their usual red and green colors.
+
+The option accepts [multiple modes](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-diff#Documentation/git-diff.txt---color-movedmode).
+`dimmed-zebra` might be a good one — it dims _moves_, which might be not super important most of the time.
+
+> :information_source: `diff.colorMoved` is available from [v2.15](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.15.0.adoc) (October 2017).
+
+# Restore Changes
+
+Restoring changes can be done with `git checkout` (as is switching branches and much more).
+Following the same idea behind `git switch`, `git restore` is a simpler alternative.
+Take a look at [the `man` page](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-restore):
+
+> Restore specified paths in the working tree with some contents from a restore source.
+> If a path is tracked but does not exist in the restore source, it will be removed to match the source.
+
+To restore a file to its committed state:
+
+```console
+$ git restore PATH
+```
+
+Also take a look at `--staged` and `--worktree` arguments when dealing with more complex scenarios.
+
+> :information_source: `git restore` is experimental from [v2.23](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.23.0.adoc) (August 2019),
+> stable from [v2.51](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.51.0.adoc) (August 2025).
+
+# What’s Next?
+
+[The _How Core Git Developers Configure Git_ article](https://blog.gitbutler.com/how-git-core-devs-configure-git)
+from the GitButler folks is a great read — it explores which options might be worth to have enabled by default.
+
+New commands like `git switch` and `git restore` are easier for Git newbies to understand.
+Not everyone has been using Git for 15+ years and is familiar with all `git checkout` nuances.
+
+All in all, it’s amazing to see Git continue to grow and evolve. Here’s to the next 20 years!