Cheat Sheet

This cheat sheet briefly summarizes the main version-control features of Dolt with simple examples. Most commands can be executed on the command line or in a SQL session. Most Dolt commands take the same options as Git commands.

Click links in the comments section to read docs for the feature.

Setup and init

SQL server	Dolt CLI	Comments
CREATE DATABASE mydb;	dolt init	Creates a new Dolt database
CALL DOLT_CLONE('post-no-preference/options');	dolt clone post-no-preference/options	Clones the post-no-preference/options database from DoltHub

Stage and snapshot

SQL server	Dolt CLI	Comments
CALL DOLT_ADD('myTable');	dolt add myTable	Adds a table to the staging area
CALL DOLT_RESET();	dolt reset	Removes staged tables, keeps working changes
CALL DOLT_RESET('--hard');	dolt reset --hard	Resets all staged and working changes to HEAD
CALL DOLT_COMMIT('-m', 'a commit');	dolt commit -m 'a commit'	Commits staged tables as a new snapshot
CALL DOLT_COMMIT('-Am', 'a commit');	dolt commit -Am 'a commit'	Stages and commits all tables

Branch and merge

SQL server	Dolt CLI	Comments
SELECT * FROM dolt_branches;	dolt branch	Lists all branches
CALL DOLT_BRANCH('myBranch');	dolt branch myBranch	Creates a new branch
CALL DOLT_CHECKOUT('myBranch');	dolt checkout myBranch	Switches to another branch
CALL DOLT_CHECKOUT('-b', 'myBranch');	dolt checkout -b myBranch	Creates a new branch and switches to it
CALL DOLT_MERGE('myBranch');	dolt merge mybranch	Merges a branch into the checked out branch

Diffing

SQL server	Dolt CLI	Comments
SELECT * FROM dolt_diff('HEAD', 'WORKING', 'mytable');	dolt diff mytable	Shows the working diff for mytable
SELECT * FROM dolt_diff_stat('HEAD', 'WORKING', 'mytable');	dolt diff --stat mytable	Shows statistics for the diff of mytable
SELECT * FROM dolt_diff('HEAD~', 'HEAD', 'mytable');	dolt diff HEAD~ HEAD mytable	Shows the diff between the last two commits for mytable
SELECT * FROM dolt_diff('HEAD', 'STAGED', 'mytable');	dolt diff --cached mytable	Shows the staged diff for mytable
SELECT * FROM dolt_diff('branchA', 'branchB', 'mytable');	dolt diff branchA branchB mytable	Shows diff between branches two branches for mytable

Status and logs

SQL server	Dolt CLI	Comments
SELECT * FROM dolt_status;	dolt status	Shows which tables are modified or staged
SELECT active_branch();	dolt branch	Shows the checked out branch (marked with * on CLI)
SELECT * FROM dolt_log;	dolt log	Shows the commit history for the current branch
SELECT * FROM dolt_log('myBranch');	dolt log myBranch	Shows the commit history for myBranch
SELECT * FROM dolt_log('branchB..branchA');	dolt log branchB..branchA	Shows the commits on branchA that are not on branchB

History

History querying is specific to the SQL server and has no command line equivalent.

SQL server	Comments
SELECT * FROM mytable AS OF 'HEAD~3';	Selects data from 3 commits ago
USE mydb/HEAD~3;	Sets this session to query data from 3 commits ago
SELECT * FROM dolt_history_mytable;	Selects every row from mytable at every point in history
SELECT committer FROM dolt_history_mytable where id = 1 order by commit_date LIMIT 1;	Selects who first added the row with id = 1 to mytable

Working with remotes

SQL server	Dolt CLI	Comments
CALL DOLT_REMOTE('add', 'myRemote', 'myOrg/myRepo');	dolt remote add myRemote/myRepo	Adds a new DoltHub remote
SELECT * FROM dolt_remotes;	dolt remote	Lists remotes
CALL DOLT_FETCH();	dolt fetch	Fetches all branches from the remote
CALL DOLT_PULL();	dolt pull	Fetch and merge commits from the remote tracking branch
CALL DOLT_PUSH('origin', 'myBranch');	dolt push origin myBranch	Push local commits of branch myBranch to remote origin
CALL DOLT_PUSH();	dolt push	Push local commits to the remote tracking branch

Advanced use cases

SQL server	Dolt CLI	Comments
SELECT HASHOF('main');	dolt show main	Shows the commit hash of a ref
SELECT * from dolt_blame_mytable;	dolt blame mytable	Shows who last updated every row of a table
SELECT * FROM dolt_diff('branch1...branch2');	dolt diff branch1...branch2	Shows a three-dot diff
CALL DOLT_REVERT('gtfv1qhr5le61njimcbses9oom0de41e');	dolt revert gtfv1qhr5le61njimcbses9oom0de41e	Creates a new commit which reverts the changes in a prior commit
SELECT * FROM DOLT_PATCH('main', 'WORKING');	dolt patch main	Creates SQL statements to apply a diff between two revisions
SELECT * FROM dolt_conflicts;	dolt conflicts cat	Lists which tables have conflicts after a merge
SELECT * FROM [dolt_conflicts_mytable];	dolt conflicts cat mytable	Lists the rows in conflict for mytable
CALL DOLT_CONFLICTS_RESOLVE('--theirs', 'mytable');	dolt conflicts resolve --theirs mytable	Resolves conflicts in mytable by taking their changes
CALL DOLT_TAG('tag1', 'myBranch');	dolt tag tag1 mybranch	Creates a new tag at the HEAD of mybranch
CALL DOLT_CHERRY_PICK('qj6ouhjvtrnp1rgbvajaohmthoru2772');	dolt cherry-pick qj6ouhjvtrnp1rgbvajaohmthoru2772	Applies the changes in a commit to the current branch HEAD
SELECT * FROM dolt_schema_diff('main', 'branch1', 'mytable');	dolt diff --schema main branch1	Shows schema differences for a table between two commits
CALL DOLT_VERIFY_CONSTRAINTS();	dolt verify-constraints	Checks for constraint violations (e.g. after checks had been disabled)
CALL DOLT_GC();	dolt gc	Runs garbage collection to compact the size of the database on disk
CALL DOLT_REBASE('--interactive', 'main');	dolt rebase --interactive main	Begins an interactive rebase session
SELECT * FROM dolt_reflog('mybranch');	dolt reflog mybranch	Shows the history of a ref, included deleted refs
SELECT * FROM dolt_commit_ancestors where commit_hash = HASHOF('main');	No equivalent	Shows the parent commit(s) of a commit
SELECT DOLT_MERGE_BASE('main', 'feature');	dolt merge-base main feature	Shows the common ancestor of two commits
SELECT * FROM dolt_commits;	No equivalent	Shows all commits on all branches
INSERT INTO dolt_ignore VALUES ("generated_*", true);	No equivalent	Ignores tables matching generated* (won't be added or committed)