GIT: COMPLETE BEGINNER GUIDE
INTRODUCTION TO GIT
Git is a distributed Version Control System (VCS) created by Linus Torvalds in 2005. It helps developers track changes in source code, collaborate with teams, maintain project history, and manage different versions of a project.
Why Git?
- Tracks code changes
- Supports collaboration
- Maintains project history
- Enables branching and merging
- Allows easy rollback to previous versions
- Works offline
WHAT IS VERSION CONTROL?
Version Control is a system that records changes to files over time so you can recall specific versions later.
Without Git:
- Files become: project_final, project_final_v2, project_final_latest
With Git:
- Every change is tracked automatically.
Git VS GitHub
Git:
- Version control tool installed locally.
GitHub:
- Cloud platform for hosting Git repositories.
Other Platforms:
- GitLab
- Bitbucket
INSTALLING GIT
In Linux
sudo apt install git
In Mac
brew install git
In Window
Go to https://git-scm.com/install/windows website choose version and install
Check Installation
git -v
Configure User
git config — global user.name “Your Name”
git config — global user.email “your@email.com”
Check Configuration:
git config -l
CREATING A REPOSITORY
git init
Creates
.git/
This hidden folder stores all Git information.
GIT WORKFLOW
Working Directory
↓
Staging Area
↓
Local Repository
↓
Remote Repository
1. Working Directory
The Working Directory is the area where you create, edit, and delete files. Any changes made to files first exist in the Working Directory.
Example:
touch file-name
The file remains in the Working Directory until it is added to the Staging Area using the git add command.
2. Staging Area (Index)
The Staging Area acts as a temporary storage area where changes are prepared before creating a commit.
Files move to the Staging Area after executing:
git add file-name
git add .
This allows developers to review and select which changes should be included in the next commit.
3. Local Repository
The Local Repository exists on your computer.
Files are stored in the Local Repository after:
git commit -m “commit-message”
Changes are available only on your machine until they are pushed to a remote repository.
4.Remote Repository
A Remote Repository is hosted on a server such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.
Files move from the Local Repository to the Remote Repository after:
git push orgin main
This makes the changes available to other developers and serves as a backup of the project.
Basic Commands.
git add
git commit
stage one file :
git add file-name
stage all files
git add .
view status
git status
commit changes
git comit -m “commit-message”
view commit history
git log
view changes
git diff
adding a remote repository
git remote add origin “link-of-repo”
push changes into repository
git push origin main
cloning a repository
git clone “repo-link”
check latest changes in remote repository
git fetch “repo-link”
Download latest changes
git pull “repo-link”
Reset commands
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Soft Reset:
git reset — soft HEAD~1
Removes commit but keeps changes staged.
Mixed Reset:
git reset HEAD~1
Removes commit and unstages changes.
Hard Reset:
git reset — hard HEAD~1
Removes commit and changes permanently.
Revert command
Undo Safely:
git revert commit-id
Creates a new commit that reverses changes.
Save work temporarily(STASH)
git stash
View stash
git stash list
Restore
git stash pop
Branches
A branch in Git is a lightweight, pointer to a specific commit that allows you to isolate your work from the main codebase. It lets you safely build features, fix bugs, or experiment without changing the stable “production” code.
Creating a new branch
git branch branh-name
View the all branches
git branch
Switch branch
git checkout branch-name
Creating and Switch to a branch
git checkout -b branch-name
Merging Branches
A merge is the process of combining the history and code changes from one Git branch back into another.
git merge branch-name
For merge a branch we go to the branch in which we have to merge know as target branch ,
Example feature branch merger to main branch
git checkout main
git merge feature
Merge Conflicts
Occurs when Git cannot determine which changes to keep.
Resolve:
1. Open conflicting file
2. Edit manually
3. git add .
4. git commit
GITIGNORE
The .gitignore file is used to specify files and folders that Git should ignore. Any files listed in .gitignore will not be tracked by Git and will not be pushed to the remote repository.
Example:
node_modules/
.env
REBASE
Rebase is used to move or replay commits from one branch onto another branch. It helps keep the Git history clean and linear.
Reapply Commits:
git rebase main
Interactive Rebase:
git rebase -i HEAD~5
Used to clean commit history.
Benefits:
- Code review
- Team collaboration
- Quality assurance
MOST IMPORTANT GIT COMMANDS
git init
git clone
git status
git add
git commit
git log
git diff
git branch
git switch
git checkout
git merge
git pull
git push
git fetch
git reset
git revert
git stash
git rebase
Git Best Practices
- Commit frequently
- Write meaningful commit messages
- Use feature branches
- Pull before pushing
- Keep commits small
- Avoid force pushing on shared branches
- Use .gitignore properly
- Review code before merging
CONCLUSION
Git is one of the most important tools for software developers. It enables version control, collaboration, branching, merging, and deployment workflows. Mastering Git helps developers work efficiently, recover from mistakes, and collaborate effectively on projects of any size.
