Git
The standard version control system for tracking code history.
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Overview
Git tracks every change to a codebase over time, letting multiple people work on the same project without overwriting each other's work, and letting anyone see exactly what changed, when, and why. It's the near-universal standard for version control across the industry.
- What it is
- A distributed version control system for tracking changes to files over time.
- Why it's used
- It's the industry-standard way to collaborate on code, review changes, and safely experiment via branches without risking the main codebase.
- Where it fits
- Used on essentially every real software project, regardless of language or framework -- covered directly in this platform's Git, APIs & SQL course.
Core concepts
- Commits and history
- Branches and merging
- Remotes (push/pull)
- Pull requests and code review
Example
A feature branch isolates in-progress work from the main codebase -- this exact workflow (branch, commit, push, open a pull request) is how nearly every professional team collaborates on code.
git checkout -b add-login-form
# ...make changes...
git add .
git commit -m "Add login form"
git push origin add-login-formCommon use cases
- Tracking code history on any software project
- Collaborating with a team via branches and pull requests
Project ideas
- Take the Git Branching & Collaboration Workflow guided project