- Git - Home
- Git - Version Control
- Git - Basic Concepts
- Git - Command Line
- Git - Installation
- Git - First Time Setup
- Git - Basic Commands
- Git - Getting Help
- Git - Tools
- Git - Cheat Sheet
- Git - Terminology
- Git - Life Cycle
- Git - Get a Repository
- Git - Adding New Files
- Git - Recording Changes
- Git - Viewing Commit History
- Git Branching
- Git - Branches in a Nutshell
- Git - Creating a New Branch
- Git - Switching Branches
- Git - Branching and Merging
- Git - Merge Conflicts
- Git - Managing Branches
- Git - Branching Workflows
- Git - Remote Branches
- Git - Tracking Branches
- Git - Rebasing
- Git - Rebase vs. Merge
- Git - Squash Commits
- Git Operations
- Git - Clone Operation
- Git - Tagging Operation
- Git - Aliases Operation
- Git - Commit Operation
- Git - Stash Operation
- Git - Move Operation
- Git - Rename Operation
- Git - Push Operation
- Git - Pull Operation
- Git - Fork Operation
- Git - Patch Operation
- Git - Diff Operation
- Git - Status Operation
- Git - Log Operation
- Git - Head Operation
- Git - Origin Master
- Git Undoing
- Git - Undoing Changes
- Git - Checkout
- Git - Revert
- Git - Reset
- Git - Restore Operation
- Git - Rm
- Git - Switch Operation
- Git - Cherry-pick
- Git - Amend
- Git on the Server
- Git - Local Protocol
- Git - Smart HTTP Protocol
- Git - Dumb HTTP Protocol
- Git - The SSH Protocol
- Git - The Git Protocol
- Git - Getting Git on a Server
- Git - Setting up the Server
- Git - Daemon
- Git - GitWeb
- Git - GitLab
- Git - Third Party Hosted Options
- Distributed Git
- Git - Distributed Workflows
- Git - Contributing to a Project
- Git - Maintaining a Project
- Customizing Git
- Git - Configuration
- Git - Hooks
- Git - Attributes
- Git - Init
- Git - Commit
Git Introduction
Git is a distributed version control system, which tracks changes in computer files, primarily used for coordinating development work by the programmers during software development process. It permits many developers to work on the same project simultaneously without interfering with each other's work. Following are some key concepts and features of Git:
Version Control − It is helpful in managing and tracking changes made to files over time. Git maintains history of all changes and thus allows to revert to previous versions, if needed.
Distributed − Since Git is distributed version control system, it lets each developer have a complete copy of all files and their entire change history on their local machine. This resuls in flexible collaboration of work among the developers.
Branching − Branches are an important feature of Git that are lightweight and easy to create, merge, and delete. These branches help in isolating the work while adding new features or fixing bugs. Developers can work on different features simultaneously without impacting the main codebase.
Merging − Changes from one branch to another branch can be merged into the main branch, using tools of Git.
Remote Repositories − Git allows developers to push their local changes to a remote repository, like GitHub or BitBucket. Collaboration on projects is made easy by Git.
Commiting − The changes made in the code is saved as commits in Git, which are nothing but snapshots of the project at a given time. Commits are identified a unique alphanumeric ID, which lists who made the change and when.
External Vendors − External vendors such as GitHub, GitLab, and BitBucket are platforms that host the Git repositories. They provide additional features such as, issue tracking, code review, and project management
Git Workflow
Following are the key steps involved in using Git:
Clone − The first step is cloning a remote repository to your local machine. It creates a local copy of the project's files and history on your computer.
Branch − After having a clone of the repository, you can create a new branch to work on a specific task or feature. Branching isolates the local changes from main codebase until it can be merged.
Work − Changes that are made to the files in your branch, such as adding new features, fixing bugs, or making alterations.
Commit − As changes are made, you periodically commit them to your local repository. Each commit is represented as a snapshot of the project at a particular time.
Pull − To incorporate the changes made by other developers, you can pull the latest changes from the remote repository.
Merge − Once your work is completed and tested, you can merge the changes into the main branch. This integrates your changes with the rest of the project.
Push − The last step is to push your changes or local commits to the remote repository, so that your work is shared with other team members.
Following figure shows the workflow of Git:
This basic workflow forms the foundation of Git collaboration. However, depending on the project and team preferences, additional steps or variations may be added, such as code reviews, issue tracking, continuous integration, and deployment processes. Overall, Git provides a flexible framework for collaboration and version control in software development.
Git As A Choice
There are several reasons why Git is widely chosen for version control and collaboration in software development:
Distributed Version Control − Git allows for greater flexibility, as developers can work offline, commit changes locally, and synchronize their work with remote repositories later.
Collaboration − Git provides a rich set of features and workflows that facilitate collaboration among developers, enabling teams to work together efficiently, transparently, and productively.
Security − Git incorporates robust security features to protect project data from unauthorized access, tampering, and manipulation.
Efficiency − Git's design principles, distributed nature, efficient storage format, and optimization techniques contribute to its overall efficiency.
Transparency − Git promotes transparency in software development by providing visibility into the project's history, development process, collaboration efforts, access control mechanisms, and error handling.
Speed and Performance Git is designed to be fast and efficient, even when dealing with large repositories and extensive history.
Security and Integrity − Git ensures the integrity and security of project data through features such as cryptographic hashing and checksums.
Wide Adoption and Community Support − There is a vast ecosystem of tools, libraries, and resources available to support Git usage.
Open Source and Free − Git is an open-source project distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which means it is free to use and modify.
Flexibility and Customization − Git is highly customizable, allowing developers to configure it to suit their specific workflows and preferences.