Description
Git is a distributed version control system (DVCS) widely used in software development to track changes in source code during the development process. Created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 for the Linux kernel, Git allows multiple developers to work on a project simultaneously without interfering with each other’s work. It enables branching, merging, and collaboration while maintaining a complete history of all code changes.
Unlike centralized version control systems (CVCS), Git keeps a full copy of the entire repository — including history — on every contributor’s computer, allowing for offline work and redundancy.
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Distributed | Every developer has a full copy of the repo with complete history |
| Branching | Lightweight and fast; encourages feature-based workflows |
| Merging | Combines changes from different branches or contributors |
| Staging Area | Intermediate area to review changes before committing |
| History | Maintains logs of commits, authors, timestamps, and changes |
Git Workflow Overview
- Working Directory – Where you modify your code
- Staging Area (Index) – Where you prepare your changes for commit
- Repository (.git) – Where commits are saved as snapshots
Typical Command Sequence:
git add . # Stage all changes
git commit -m "Message" # Commit changes
git push origin main # Push to remote repositoryBasic Git Commands
| Command | Description |
git init | Initializes a new Git repository |
git clone <url> | Copies a remote repository to local |
git status | Shows staged, unstaged, and untracked files |
git add <file> | Stages file(s) for the next commit |
git commit -m "msg" | Commits staged changes with a message |
git log | Displays commit history |
git diff | Shows file differences |
git branch | Lists branches or creates a new one |
git checkout <branch> | Switches to another branch |
git merge <branch> | Merges a branch into the current one |
Branching and Merging
Git’s lightweight branching system allows for experimental, isolated development paths.
git checkout -b feature-login # create and switch to new branch
# ... make changes
git add . && git commit -m "login feature"
git checkout main
git merge feature-loginMerge Conflicts
When Git cannot automatically merge changes, it flags a conflict, requiring manual resolution.
Remote Repositories
| Concept | Description |
origin | Default name for a remote repository |
git push | Sends local commits to the remote |
git pull | Fetches and merges remote changes |
git fetch | Retrieves remote changes without merging |
Popular hosting services include:
Git Internals
| Component | Role |
| Commit | Snapshot of project at a point in time with metadata |
| Blob | Stores file data |
| Tree | Represents directory structure |
| Index | Staging area |
| HEAD | Pointer to the current branch or commit |
Useful Options
git reset– Unstage or undo commitsgit revert– Create a new commit that undoes changesgit stash– Temporarily saves work in progressgit tag– Marks specific points (e.g., release versions)
Best Practices
- Write clear commit messages
- Use
.gitignoreto exclude unnecessary files - Create branches for each feature or fix
- Pull often to stay up to date
- Rebase interactively for clean history
GUI Tools & IDE Integrations
- GitHub Desktop
- Sourcetree
- GitKraken
- VS Code Git panel
- JetBrains Git integration
Related Concepts
- Version Control System (VCS)
- Continuous Integration (CI)
- Merge Conflict
- Pull Request / Merge Request
- Repository
- SHA-1 Hashes
Summary
Git is an indispensable tool in modern software development, enabling collaboration, version tracking, and experimental workflows with minimal friction. Its distributed nature, robust branching and merging capabilities, and wide adoption make it the de facto standard for version control across the industry.
