Step 1: Install Git

Download Git from the official website:  https://git-scm.com/downloads

and Install Git using default settings.

Verify Git Installation :   git --version

Example Output:  git version 2.49.0 

Step 2: Configure Git Username and Email

• Set Git Username  : git config --global user.name "Your Name"
• Set Git Email : git config --global user.email "yourmail@example.com"
• Verify Configuration : git config --list 

Step 3: Configure GitHub Authentication

GitHub no longer supports password authentication directly for Git operations. Instead, use a Personal Access Token (PAT).

Enable Credential Manager :  git config --global credential.helper manager

This securely stores credentials and avoids entering password repeatedly.

Step 4: Create GitHub Personal Access Token

Open: https://github.com/settings/tokens

Create a token with repository access permissions.  When Git asks for credentials during first push/pull:

Username : Use your GitHub username.
Password : Use the Personal Access Token instead of GitHub password.

With this your setup done

1) Open the Vs code , go to the vs code terminial 

2) Clone the Project Repository :  git clone https://github.com/webzynix-technologies/Hotel_management_free.git

3) Open Project Folder:  cd <project folder>  

4) View Availble Branches :   git branch -a
 

Example Branches: 

• main
• dev
• qa

5) Switch to Development Branch

 
git checkout dev

If dev branch is not available locally:    git checkout -b dev origin/dev

If still getting error then try :   

git fetch origin

git branch -a 

6) Verify Current Branch

git branch

Current branch will display like:

* dev

This means developer is currently working inside the dev branch.

7) Pull Latest Code Before Starting Work (Always download latest updates before starting development.)

git pull origin dev
 
8) Open Project in VS Code

Open the project folder in VS Code and start development.

Developers should always work only on: dev branch

Never directly work on: main branch / qa branch

 
 9) Check Modified Files
          git status
 

This command shows:

Modified files
Added files
Deleted files
Current branch status

10) Add Files to Git 
Add All Files :  git add .
 
Add Single File : git add login.php

11) Create Commit
git commit -m "Fixed login validation issue"
 

Commit messages should clearly explain what changes were made.

Good Examples:

git commit -m "Added owner dashboard reports"
git commit -m "Fixed checkout calculation issue"
git commit -m "Updated hotel booking UI"

12) Push Changes to DEV Branch
git push origin dev

This uploads developer code changes into GitHub dev branch.

Introduction

Sometimes local Git repositories become messy due to:

• Unwanted local changes
• Temporary testing files
• Extra uploads/images
• Merge conflicts
• Deleted files
• Untracked folders
• AI tool temporary folders
• Old development data

In such cases, developers may want to completely clean the local repository and make it exactly identical to the remote GitHub branch.

This guide explains how to safely reset the local repository and sync it fully with the remote branch.

When This Process Is Useful

Use this method when:

• Local project contains unwanted files
• QA branch should exactly match GitHub
• Temporary testing data should be removed
• Pull operation created local conflicts
• Repository became messy
• You want a completely fresh branch copy

Important Warning

This process permanently removes:

• Uncommitted local changes
• Untracked files
• Extra folders
• Temporary files
• Local modifications

Do NOT use these commands if important local work is not committed or backed up.

Example Scenario

Suppose:

• GitHub QA branch is correct
• Local QA branch has extra files and changes

You want:

Local QA branch = Exact GitHub QA branch

Step 1 — Switch to Correct Branch

First switch to the branch you want to clean.

Example:

git checkout qa

Verify current branch:

git branch

Expected:

* qa

Step 2 — Fetch Latest Remote Data

Download latest branch information from GitHub.

git fetch origin

This updates remote references locally.

Step 3 — Reset Local Branch to Remote Branch

Run:

git reset --hard origin/qa

This command:

• Removes local modifications
• Resets tracked files
• Makes local tracked files identical to GitHub QA branch

Step 4 — Remove Extra Untracked Files and Folders

Run:

git clean -fd

This removes:

• Extra local folders
• Temporary files
• Untracked uploads
• Testing files
• Extra directories

Step 5 — Verify Repository Status

Run:

git status

Expected output:

On branch qa
Your branch is up to date with 'origin/qa'.

nothing to commit, working tree clean

This means:

Local repository is now exactly same as GitHub QA branch.

Understanding Important Commands

What Does git reset --hard Do?

Example:

git reset --hard origin/qa

This command:

• Removes local file modifications
• Resets commits
• Matches remote tracked files exactly

It affects only tracked Git files.

What Does git clean -fd Do?

Example:

git clean -fd

This command removes:

• Untracked files
• Untracked folders
• Temporary project data

Example:

• uploads/
• test folders
• temp images
• generated files

Common Real-World Use Cases

Scenario 1 — Wrong Local Testing Files

Developer accidentally created:

test/
demo/
temp_uploads/

These can be cleaned safely.

Scenario 2 — Merge Became Messy

After pull/merge conflicts:

Repository became unstable locally

Reseting fixes repository quickly.

Scenario 3 — QA Machine Needs Fresh Copy

QA systems often need:

Exact remote QA branch state

This process ensures clean testing environment.

Recommended Safety Practices

Before running reset commands:

Option 1 — Commit Important Changes

git add .
git commit -m "Backup before reset"

Option 2 — Temporary Stash

git stash

Restore later:

git stash pop

Recommended Workflow After Reset

After cleaning:

git pull origin qa

Then continue testing/development normally.

Useful Verification Commands

Check Current Branch

git branch

Check Repository Status

git status

Compare Branches

Example:

https://github.com/webzynix-technologies/Hotel_management_free/compare/qa...dev