Git Will Finally Make Sense After This

Git is fundamentally a database of snapshots where commits form a directed acyclic graph (DAG). Each commit contains a complete project snapshot, metadata, and a pointer to its parent. Branches are simply pointers to commits, and HEAD tracks your current location. The three storage areas (working directory, staging area, repository) are manipulated differently by commands: checkout moves HEAD safely, reset moves branches and can be destructive (soft/mixed/hard modes), revert creates new corrective commits, and rebase replays commits with new parents by creating entirely new commits. When mistakes happen, git reflog can recover seemingly lost work by showing where HEAD has pointed recently.