What is Git?

Git is a distributed version control system that allows a developer to track changes made to files in their projects. Teams of developers can use Git to collaborate on a single project at scale. This is made possible by branching, which allows developers to make specific changes to eventually be merged into the main branch of the codebase (or Git repository).

In simpler terms,

Git is like a time machine for your development work, letting you save different versions of your projects and work on them with friends without messing things up. It's a tool that helps you keep track of changes and work together smoothly.

Basic Terminology

repository (repo)

• When working on a project with collaborators, a Git repository acts as a special folder on your computer that records all the changes you make to your files.
• This makes it simple to see what everyone has done and combine your work. It resembles a computerized version of journal that records everything you and your collaborators write in it.

branch

• A branch in Git is comparable to a different project route. Similar to how you may write two different stories in various notebooks, it enables you to work on different aspects of your project without interfering with the primary one.
• Conventional name for the primary branch of a project is main.

HEAD

• Think of the "HEAD" in Git as a special marker that, like a bookmark in a book, indicates which version of your project you are currently viewing. It aids in keeping track of your progress throughout the course of your assignment.
• HEAD is a reference variable used to denote the most current commit of the repository in which you are working. When you add a new commit, HEAD will then become that new commit.

Index

• The index in Git is like a waiting area for your changes. When you make changes to your files, Git puts them in this waiting area until you're ready to save them.
• When you run "git status," it shows you which changes are ready to be saved in green and which ones still need to be prepared in red.

Remote

• Git remote is similar to a link to a shared copy of your code (repository) on the internet or another machine. It allows you and your collaborators to work on the same code from multiple locations, ensuring that everyone has the most recent modifications.
• A remote in Git is a common repository that all team members use to exchange their changes.

Upstream/Downstream

• When talking about a branch or a fork, the primary branch on the original repository is often referred to as the upstream, since that is the main place that other changes will come in from. The branch/fork you are working on is then called the downstream. Also called origin.
• In Git, upstream refers to the original source of a project or repository. It's like saying, Where the project started from, and it helps you keep your work synchronized with the latest updates from that starting point.

Workflow

• Your local repository consists of three trees maintained by git.
• The first one is your Working Directory which holds the actual files.
• The second one is the Index which acts as a staging area.
• Finally the HEAD which points to the last commit you've made.

Git Commands

git add

• The git add command in Git is equivalent to saying to Git, "Hey, I want to save these changes!" when you make changes to your project.
• For instance, if you repaired a bug in your code and wish to save it, you would tell Git to include that particular modification in your subsequent save (commit) by using the command

git add <filename>

git commit

• Like taking a snapshot of your code at a particular moment in time, a "git commit" is a change. It's a technique to preserve your modifications and provide a brief note about what you changed.
• For example, you might use it like this:

git commit -m "Fixed a bug in the game's scoring system."

to save your recent code changes and let others know what you did.

git push

• git push is similar to posting your most recent code and modifications to a public online repository so that you and your team members can view and edit the same version.
• For example, if you want to share your cool game code with others, you'd use "git push" like this:

git push origin main

git clone

• This command is used for making a copy of a project from the internet to your computer.
• For example, you can use it to copy a project from a website like this:

git clone https://example.com/game.git

git fetch

• git fetch is similar to checking for game updates. It doesn't alter your game; it just downloads the most recent updates from the internet to your computer so you can see what's new.
• You can use git fetch to see if there are any new levels or features in the game you're working on, but it won't actually change your game until you decide to use git merge or git pull to apply those updates.

git merge

• Git merge is similar to merging two distinct code branches into one.
• Use git merge feature-branch to combine two branches, such as when adding new characters to your game, if you have a branch for adding new features to a game called feature-branch and you want to integrate those features to the main game.

git pull

• Imagine you have a project, and you want to make sure you have the latest updates from your collaborators. You can use git pull to get those updates:
• You can use git pull to fetch and merge remote changes.

git pull origin main

git remote

• In Git, a remote is like a bookmark that helps you remember the web address of a project you're working on.
• For example, if you're collaborating on a game project, you might add a remote called "origin" like this:

git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/game.git

Then, you can use origin as a shortcut to refer to that web address when you need to push or pull changes.

git checkout

• git checkout is like switching to a different branch or version of your project.
• For example, if you have a branch called "feature" and want to work on it, you can use

git checkout feature

• This will take you to that particular area of your project, where you can make modifications specifically for that feature.

git branch

• The git branch command in Git is like making a list of different versions or "branches" of your project.
• For example, if you're working on a game, you can use git branch to create a new branch called bug-fixes to work on fixing game bugs separately from the main version:

git branch bug-fixes

git diff

• You can use the git diff tool to compare two branches in your Git project and observe their differences.

git diff main feature

• For instance, to examine what changes you've made while comparing a branch called "feature" to the "main" branch you can use the above command. This command will clearly outline any new code or modifications to existing code that separate those two branches.

git log

• git log is a command in Git that shows a detailed list of all the changes, or "commits," that have been made in a project.
• It displays information like who made each commit, when they made it, and a unique identifier for each commit, which helps you keep track of the project's history. For example, running git log might show you a list of commits like this:

git reset

• git reset rewinds your repository’s history all the way back to the specified unique ID. It’s as if those commits never happened.
• By default, git reset preserves the working directory. The commits are gone, but the contents are still on your computer.
• This is the safest option, but often, you’ll want to “undo” the commits and the changes in one move—that’s what --hard does.

Commands:

git reset <unique_ID>
git reset --hard <unique_ID>

git reflog

• You made some commits, did a git reset --hard to “undo” those changes (see above), and then realized: you want those changes back!
• git reflog is an amazing resource for recovering project history. You can recover almost anything—anything you’ve committed—via the reflog.
• You’re probably familiar with the git log command, which shows a list of commits. git reflog is similar, but instead shows a list of times when HEAD changed.

git rebase

• git rebase is similar to changing the timeframe of your code. It makes your branch appear as though it was freshly created by moving your changes to the most recent point on the main branch rather than stacking them on top of it.
• For example, if you have a branch called "feature" and you want to rebase it onto the latest changes in the "main" branch, you can run:

git rebase main

git revert

• While resetting works great for local branches on your own machine, its method of "rewriting history" doesn't work for remote branches that others are using.
• To reverse changes and share those reversed changes with others, we need to use git revert.
• For instance, if you want to undo the changes from the last commit with the ID abcdef, you can use the below command to create a new commit that undoes those changes while keeping the commit history intact.

git revert abcdef

Popular Issues

Here are some common error messages you may hit, and ways you can resolve them. If you run into something that isn't here, please post an issue to the repo, and we'll try to post up a solution ASAP

Additional Resources

• Atlassian's Guide to Git
• The Simple Guide to git
• Learn Git Branching Visualization
• How to undo (almost) anything with git

Contributing

Do you know any commands or terminologies that we haven't mentioned? Feel free to follow the steps below to add them!

1. Fork it
2. Clone it git clone <url of your forked repo>
3. Make branch git checkout -b <branch name>
4. Make your changes in README.md
5. Add changes git add README.md
6. Commit changes git commit -m "subject line" -m "description"
7. Push changes to repo git push origin <branch you made>
8. Click Compare & pull request

Credits

• Avaneesh Kumar - Github