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Git Tips and Tricks

A few helpful tips to make life with Git easier

I've been using Git for quite some time and I've come to really enjoy it. It might be a little weird to say that I enjoy my source control system, but it makes development so much easier in so many ways. Now, I will admit that our relationship wasn't always awesome; working with Git can have a steep learning curve. I've invested a lot of time in learning to use Git, so I've put together a few helpful tips for you.

Git Aliases Will Set You Free

Git yerself some aliases

Using Git from the command line can be both liberating and daunting. Once you appreciate the power that some of the more verbose commands give you, it is easy to get overwhelmed if you're not super comfortable on the command line. When you start digging into the formatting functionality of "log" you'll quickly find yourself looking for a better way to reuse several log formatting options.

Streamline Git with Powershell

Why hello, posh git

You've installed the latest version of Git, read some tutorials and have been merrily branching, commiting and having a jolly old time enjoying the freedom that Git gives you. At some point Git "clicked", and you picked up your laptop to show a co-worker how bad ass this new thing you did was; It was probably when you did your first reintegration merge without angering the gods.

Cracking Visual Source Safe Passwords

Yes, VSS still exists

Several months ago I was approached by a project manager asking for help with some truly legacy code; stuff that was so old it existed only in an ancient source safe database that hadn'tseen the light of day in years. Unfortunately no one had (or remembered) credentials to get in and this project update wasn't going away any time soon. We needed a solution to crack the database and get access to our client's code. Needless to say, this was one of the last projects I wanted to work on.