Git Version Control

Version Control with Git: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

Version control systems (VCS) are essential tools for managing changes to source code over time. Git, a distributed version control system, has become the industry standard due to its efficiency, reliability, and powerful branching model.

Importance of Version Control

• Tracks changes to files and allows reverting to previous versions.
• Facilitates collaboration among multiple developers.
• Maintains a history of modifications for auditing and debugging.
• Enables branching and merging for parallel development.

Git Data Model

Git operates on a directed acyclic graph (DAG) structure, where each commit represents a snapshot of the repository.

• Blobs: Store file contents.
• Trees: Represent directories containing blobs and subdirectories.
• Commits: Capture a snapshot of the repository with metadata such as author, timestamp, and parent commit(s).

Understanding Git Commit History

Each commit in Git is identified by a unique SHA-1 hash. The commit history forms a sequence of snapshots, enabling developers to traverse and manage different versions efficiently.

# View commit history
git log --oneline --graph --decorate --all

Essential Git Commands

Initializing a Repository

git init

Creates a new Git repository in the current directory.

Cloning a Repository

git clone <repository-url>

Copies an existing repository from a remote source.

Staging and Committing Changes

git add <file>
git commit -m "Commit message"

Staging (git add) prepares changes, and committing (git commit) saves them with a message.

Viewing Status

git status

Displays the working tree status.

Checking Differences

git diff

Shows changes between working directory and staging area.

Working with Branches

git branch <branch-name>  # Create a new branch
git checkout <branch-name>  # Switch to an existing branch
git merge <branch-name>  # Merge a branch into the current branch

Undoing Changes

git reset --hard <commit-hash>  # Reset to a specific commit
git revert <commit-hash>  # Create a new commit that undoes the specified commit

Pushing and Pulling Changes

git push origin <branch-name>  # Push changes to remote

git pull origin <branch-name>  # Fetch and merge remote changes

Conclusion

Git is an indispensable tool for modern software development, offering robust tracking, collaboration, and branching capabilities. Mastering its fundamental commands and concepts ensures a smooth and efficient development workflow.

Helpful Videos and Links:

🔗 Missing Semester MIT
🔗 Princeton Computing

📌 LearnWebCode – Watch here
📌 FreeCodeCamp – Watch here