Git’s Overall Structure at a Glance

Git can be difficult because “files,” “commits,” “branches,” and “remotes” belong to different layers.

Start by capturing the overall structure in one diagram.

flowchart TD
    W[Working Tree<br/>Edit actual files] -->|git add| I[Staging Area / Index]
    I -->|git commit| L[Local Repository]
    L -->|git push| R[Remote Repository]
    R -->|git fetch| L
    L -->|checkout / switch| W

Four Core Layers

The Basic Flow

Edit files
↓
git add
↓
Staging
↓
git commit
↓
Local Repository
↓
git push
↓
Remote Repository

The Reverse Direction

Remote Repository
↓ git fetch
Update remote-tracking refs in the local repository
↓ merge / rebase
Update the local branch
↓ checkout result
Working Tree

The Most Important Distinction

stable

This is a local branch.

origin/stable

This is not the remote branch itself. It is the position of origin’s stable branch remembered by your local repository: a remote-tracking reference.

Worktree
  ↓
stable               Local Branch
  ↓ tracks
origin/stable        Remote-Tracking Ref
  ↓ corresponds to
GitHub stable        Remote Branch

Recommended Order for Learning Git

1. Working Tree / Stage / Commit
2. Branch / HEAD
3. Remote / fetch / push
4. Worktree
5. Merge / Rebase / Cherry-pick
6. Restore / Revert / Reset
7. PR / Code Review / Actions

Following this order lets you understand commands by asking “which layer does this command change?” rather than memorizing them individually.