How to use the command git force-clone (with examples)
Git force-clone is a command that provides the functionality of git clone, but with the additional capability to force-reset an existing git repository to resemble a clone of the remote repository. This command is part of git-extras and can be used when you need to update an existing git repository with the latest changes from the remote repository.
Use case 1: Clone a Git repository into a new directory
Code:
git force-clone remote_repository_location path/to/directory
Motivation: When you want to clone a remote git repository into a new directory, you can use this command to avoid conflicts with existing repositories.
Explanation:
remote_repository_location: The URL or path to the remote repository you want to clone.path/to/directory: The path to the directory where you want to clone the repository.
Example output:
Cloning into 'path/to/directory'...
remote: Counting objects: 100, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (80/80), done.
remote: Total 100 (delta 20), reused 90 (delta 10)
Receiving objects: 100% (100/100), done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (20/20), done.
Use case 2: Clone a Git repository into a new directory, checking out a specific branch
Code:
git force-clone -b branch_name remote_repository_location path/to/directory
Motivation: In some cases, you may want to clone a specific branch of a remote repository instead of the default branch. This command allows you to do that by specifying the branch name.
Explanation:
-b branch_name: Specifies the branch name to be checked out after cloning the repository.remote_repository_location: The URL or path to the remote repository you want to clone.path/to/directory: The path to the directory where you want to clone the repository.
Example output:
Cloning into 'path/to/directory'...
remote: Counting objects: 100, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (80/80), done.
remote: Total 100 (delta 20), reused 90 (delta 10)
Receiving objects: 100% (100/100), done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (20/20), done.
Checking out branch 'branch_name'
Use case 3: Clone a Git repository into an existing directory of a Git repository, performing a force-reset to resemble it to the remote and checking out a specific branch
Code:
git force-clone -b branch_name remote_repository_location path/to/directory
Motivation: Sometimes you may need to force-reset an existing git repository to resemble a clone of the remote repository, including its commit history. This can be useful when you want to update an existing repository with the latest changes from the remote repository.
Explanation:
-b branch_name: Specifies the branch name to be checked out after force-cloning the repository.remote_repository_location: The URL or path to the remote repository you want to clone.path/to/directory: The path to the existing directory of the local repository that you want to force-reset.
Example output:
Reseting existing repository at 'path/to/directory'...
Cloning into 'path/to/directory'...
remote: Counting objects: 100, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (80/80), done.
remote: Total 100 (delta 20), reused 90 (delta 10)
Receiving objects: 100% (100/100), done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (20/20), done.
Checking out branch 'branch_name'
Conclusion:
The git force-clone command is a powerful tool for cloning and updating git repositories. It provides the basic functionality of git clone, but with the ability to force-reset an existing repository to resemble a clone of the remote repository. This can be useful in various scenarios where you want to clone a repository into a new directory, clone a specific branch, or update an existing repository with the latest changes.
