What is Git? Learn Version Control with a Hands-On Tutorial

Git is a distributed version control system used by developers to track changes in source code during software development. It allows multiple people to collaborate, manage code versions, and revert to previous stages if needed.

What Git Does

Tracks changes in your files
Allows collaboration on code with others
Maintains a history of code updates
Helps manage different versions (branches) of your project

Key Concepts

Term	Meaning
Repository (repo)	A project folder tracked by Git
Commit	A snapshot of your code changes
Branch	A separate line of development
Merge	Combining changes from different branches
Clone	Copying a repository to your local system
Push/Pull	Upload/download changes to/from remote repo (e.g., GitHub)

Git Installation

Step 1: Install Git

Windows/Mac/Linux: Download from https://git-scm.com/

Step 2: Set up your identity

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your@email.com"

Sample Git Tutorial

Let’s go through a simple example using Git on your local machine.

Step 1: Create a Project Directory

mkdir demo-git-project
cd demo-git-project

Step 2: Initialize Git

git init

This creates a hidden .git folder that tracks changes.

Step 3: Create a File

echo "Hello Git" > index.html

Step 4: Check File Status

git status

Step 5: Add File to Staging Area

git add index.html

Step 6: Commit the Change

git commit -m "Initial commit with index.html"

Step 7: Create a New Branch (Optional)

git branch feature-login
git checkout feature-login
# or shortcut:
git checkout -b feature-login

Step 8: Make Changes and Commit

echo "Login feature" >> index.html
git add index.html
git commit -m "Add login feature"

Step 9: Merge Changes to Main

git checkout main
git merge feature-login

Step 10: View Commit History

git log

Push to GitHub (Optional)

If you want to store your project on GitHub:

Step 1: Create a repo on GitHub

Step 2: Link local repo to GitHub

git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/demo-git-project.git
git push -u origin main

Summary

Command	Description
`git init`	Start a new Git repository
`git status`	Check current repo state
`git add <file>`	Stage file for commit
`git commit -m "msg"`	Save a snapshot
`git branch`	View branches
`git checkout -b <name>`	Create and switch to a branch
`git merge <branch>`	Merge another branch
`git log`	View commit history
`git push`	Send code to remote repo

Souy Soeng