Introduction to Git

  • Git is the most widely used distributed version control system (DVCS), designed to track changes in source code and support fast, collaborative, non-linear development. Created by Linus Torvalds in 2005, Git has become the global standard for managing software projects.

  • What Is Version Control?

    Version control is a system that records changes to files over time. It allows you to:

    • Restore older versions

    • Track who made specific changes

    • Compare different versions of files

    • Recover from mistakes

    • Collaborate without overwriting work

    Without version control, developers often resort to manual file copies such as project-final, project-final-new, project-final-new2, which is inefficient and risky.

  • What Is Git?

    Git is a distributed version control system, meaning every developer has a complete copy of the entire project and its full history.

    Key Characteristics:

    • Distributed: No dependency on a single central server

    • Fast: All operations are local

    • Secure: Uses SHA-1 hashing to protect data integrity

    • Flexible: Supports multiple workflows

    • Reliable: Even if the remote server is lost, history is safe on local machines

  • Why Do Developers Use Git?

    Git solves modern development problems effectively:

    • Maintains a full history of every change

    • Supports multiple developers working in parallel

    • Allows feature development using branches

    • Offers easy rollback and recovery

    • Stores a complete backup on every developer’s machine

    • Integrates seamlessly with cloud platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket

  • How Git Works – Key Concepts

    Git manages code using three fundamental areas:
    Working Directory : Where you edit your project files.

    Staging Area (Index) : Where you prepare changes before committing.

    Repository (Local Repo) : Where commits (snapshots) are permanently stored.

Repo initialization 

git init