Git is one of the most commonly used version control software. It is mostly used to manage source code in collaboration or with distributed revision control systems. There are many tutorials on Git out there but they seem to be either too simple or extremely complicated. This tutorial will explain the usage of Git and its commands in detail so that you can confidently use it for your own projects. Follow this tutorial and learn how to use Git for software development.

Introduction to Git #

Git is a distributed revision control software that is used to track and manage changes in an organisation. It is one of the commonly used source code management tool. Git works with a central repository where all the changes are tracked and version control is maintained. The developer’s computer acts as a client that connects to the central repository. Changes are tracked as a commit log so that we can easily revert them if needed. Git also helps in collaboration among developers. It can track changes made by other developers connected to the repository. It is a safe and secure method to maintain the source code because it is distributed and has a decentralised architecture. This means that every computer has a full copy of the source code.

What is Git? #

Git is a distributed revision control software that can track changes in your code and allows you to revert back to a specific version if needed. A centralised version control system might be good for a small project, but grows in complexity when it comes to managing a team of developers working on the same set of code. Git is a decentralised version control system, which means that every developer has a full copy of the project with them. This also means that you need to have a server that is accessible to all your developers.

Installing Git #

Git is a free and open-source software that can be used on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It can be installed using the installation instructions provided in the link below. GitHub – Git – Official Site

Basics of using Git #

Before we can start using Git, we need to create a new repository and configure our computer to use it. Once we are done with this, we can start adding files to our repository. We can create a new folder on our computer and use this as a repository. Once we have the basic folder structure, we need to configure it as a repository. This can be done by executing the following command.

Working with files in Git #

There are three ways to add files to a repository. The first way is by adding the complete folder. The second method is by adding individual files and the third way is by adding an existing commit log. Let’s say we have a project folder named “my-project-folder” that has three files in it. Now, we want to add these files to our repository. We can do this by adding the entire “my-project-folder” folder. The command for this is as follows.

Commit and Reset #

Committing refers to the process of adding changes to the repository at regular intervals. There are two ways to add changes to the repository. One is adding the changes while maintaining the folder structure and the other is by creating a new folder with the changes. We can add all changes to the repository by adding the file in a new folder. This will add the changes and maintain the folder structure.

Deleting Files in Git Repository #

You can delete only the file from the repository and not the file itself. This can be done by using the “remove” command. The “remove” command is used to remove files from the repository.

Branching in Git #

This is used to create independent lines of development. The feature allows a team to work on the same codebase without interfering with each other. The branching feature in Git helps in creating a feature branch for a specific functionality, fixing bugs, and merging code from the feature branch back to the main branch. The following steps are used for branching in Git. – Create a Feature Branch – Start with creating a feature branch with the following command. – Work Inside the Feature Branch – After creating the feature branch, work inside this branch instead of the main branch. – Merge the Feature Branch – Once you are finished working with the feature branch, merge it with the main branch.

Stashing in Git #

Stashing is a temporary way to store uncommitted code. It can be done by using the “stash” command.

Merging and Resolving Conflicts in Git #

Merging is the process of combining two lines of development into one line. This is done by bringing changes from both branches into one branch. There are three ways to merge changes in Git. These are: – Manual Merge – Rebase – Merge

Conclusion #

Git is a distributed version control system that allows us to track changes in code. This can be done by adding changes to the repository at regular intervals. Using Git, we can create a new repository and configure our computer to use it. There are three ways to add changes to the repository. The first method is by adding the complete folder. The second method is by adding individual files and the third way is by adding an existing commit log. Git also helps in collaboration among developers. This can be done by creating a feature branch for a specific functionality, fixing bugs, and merging code from the feature branch back to the main branch.