In the modern environment where hundreds and thousands of people work simultaneously on a project, in a distributed environment, it is critical to maintain consistency across the files shared across different platforms and different people. Git becomes particularly helpful while we are working with the code files as it helps in maintaining the consistency and integrity of the code files as well as facilitates us to track the changes. In this article on introduction to git, we will understand what git is, are git and GitHub related, why you should learn git, and how you can learn git.
What is Git?
Git is software that can keep track of the changes in any type of file. Git is used by programmers to keep track of the code files which are shared among different people during the development of software. Git provides us with features such as data integrity, consistency, and speed. We can use git in a distributed workflow environment. Git was developed in 2005 and has been maintained since then. It is free and open-source software available to everyone free of cost. Git is unique in itself as it has a full-fledged repository on every computer even if the computer is not connected to the network. It has fully enabled version control and a history check mechanism at every machine.
Some of the features of Git are given below.
- Handles large projects efficiently.
- Supports non-linear development of the shared files.
- Can work in a distributed environment.
- History authentication using cryptographic techniques.
- Git is compatible with protocols and systems already existing.
- An efficient way of handling merges.
Are Git and GitHub related?
As the names suggest, Git and Github are related but are not the same things. As we have seen, Git is a software tool that is used to manage files for version control. Git manages repositories holding the files on a machine with the full support of history, version control, integrity, consistency, etc. Therefore, git can be seen as a tool to manage the files, especially the code files in the software development process.
On the other hand, Github is a free cloud-based platform that hosts Git repositories. We can store our git repositories on Github as they are stored on local machines. Github provides us with a platform where we can manage our Git repositories. Since Github is built to manage Git repositories, it provides all the functionalities of Git such as version control, history, integrity, consistency, etc. Github takes things a step further and provides a robust sharing mechanism maintaining cross-platform consistency. Github also provides an attractive graphical user interface that lets developers and users easily manage the files and repositories, share files, fork, host the repositories, etc.
Why learn Git
It is by far the most important thing to know why you should learn git. We have given the following reasons in support of why learning Git can be very helpful.
- Version control: While working on the projects we often want to keep track of the changes every time we commit the changes to the code. Git keeps track of every change that we commit to the files which help us to keep track of different changes and versions. It helps us to revert back to previous versions comfortably wherever and whenever we want.
- Sharing: Git lets us efficiently collaborate with the team while working on a project. All team members can access the files, make changes and merge the changes to the main branch of the project.
- History: Git has the ability to keep track of every change that is committed to the project. We can track the history of changes and who made them. This provides a powerful way to control the project.
- Integrity: Git has an efficient merging mechanism that lets the authorized personnel commit the changes to the main branch. It maintains the integrity of the shared files ensuring that the same data is available to all collaborators.
- Can work in a distributed environment: Git is designed to work in a distributed environment. In the modern world, distributed computing has become a necessity. Git handles this necessity efficiently and easily.
- Popularity: We have many version control system software but Git is the most popular and widely used version control system software. It is largely used by organizations and individuals to maintain the projects.
- Easy to learn: Git is easy to learn and use. As powerful as Git is, it is as easy to learn and to work with. We can use graphical interface or shell commands to perform Git operations such as create, manage, merge, etc.
How to learn Git
We can learn Git by learning the operations that Git provides to perform the necessary tasks such as creating a repository, committing changes, etc. Git provides basic commands which can be executed from the shell to perform the specific operation that they represent. There are multiple resources available that can be used to learn the Git commands and operations. We have provided the following list of resources that can be referred to learn the Git commands and operations.
- Youtube tutorials: Youtube is a great place to learn things free of cost. There are several tutorials available on youtube which you can watch to learn the Git commands and operations.
- Medium: There are multiple blogs available on Medium that can ease your journey to learn git.
- Bitbucket: BitBucket is a website that provides an excellent tutorial to learn git. The tutorial is easy to follow and understand.
- Udemy: Udemy is an online platform that provides courses on various subjects. There are some excellent courses available on the platform which can be used to learn Git. It has paid as well free courses available for learning. You can also learn Python and other programming languages on Udemy.
- Learn Git Branching: This is an excellent online website that provides interactive learning aid to help you master the git branching and committing operations.
- Pluralsight: Pluralsight has some very good courses to learn git but it is a paid website that needs a subscription before you can take courses.
Conclusion
Git is a very powerful software tool for version control. It is an efficient and useful software that should be learned by every professional especially software developers. It is extensively used to collaborate on large projects, to maintain the history, and to maintain the version of the software. We have mentioned what is git, the pros of Git in the article, and why we should learn git. We have also provided tips and resources that can be used to learn Git. It is always useful to add git to your knowledge stack and this article helps you in the journey. While you learn to code, you should also use Git to store your codes. It will help you track your journey too.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.
