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Git Basics

Frontend SELF EN

Level 20 , Lesson 1

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9.0 A Bit of History

One of the key elements of Git is branches, which let you work on different features or versions of your program at the same time.

Originally, in Git DVCS, the default branch was called master. By default, every Git repository had a master branch. Developers rarely deleted it since it played an important role in development.

In the summer of 2020, amidst protests and social unrest, the use of terms like master and slave in IT sparked a heated debate. Different alternatives to master were proposed, like default and primary. But eventually, the term main became the most popular.

GitHub took steps to move away from the term master when initializing a Git repository. You can switch from master to main in your GitHub account settings at Repositories or by running this command:

$ git branch -m master main

In some learning materials, you might still encounter the term master. To learn more about the switch to main, check out these links:

9.1 What is Git and Why You Need It

Git is a powerful version control system used to track changes in source code during software development. It helps devs save different versions of files and coordinate the teamwork on a shared project.

Key concepts of Git:

Repository

A repository (or "repo") is the place where the entire project history is stored, including all changes and file versions. In Git, a repository includes a working directory, an index (or staging area), and an object database.

Commits

A commit is a saved state of the project. Each commit in Git contains info on what changes were made to the project, by whom, and when. Commits form the project history and let you revert to any previous version.

Branches

A branch is an independent line of development. By default, Git creates the main branch (formerly master). You can create new branches for developing new features or fixes and then merge them back into the main branch.

Merge and Rebase

Merge and rebase are two ways to integrate changes from one branch into another. Merge combines the histories of the two branches by creating a new commit, while rebase moves the commits of one branch on top of another, rewriting commit history.

9.2 Key Git Commands

Here's a table with the main Git commands for version control:

Command	Description
git init	Initializes a new Git repository in the current directory.
git clone	Clones a repository from the URL to a new directory.
git add	Adds files to the index for the next commit.
git commit	Saves staged changes into the repository.
git push	Sends changes from the local repository to the remote one.
git pull	Updates the current branch with the latest version from the remote repository.
git branch	Displays, creates, or deletes branches.
git merge	Merges changes from the specified branch into the current branch.
git rebase	Reapplies changes onto a new base (usually another branch).

These commands represent the core tools for working with Git, letting you manage code changes, branches, and merges in projects of any size. We'll dig deeper into them in the next lectures.

9.3 Three Places to Store Code

When you start using a version control system for your code, your code, roughly speaking, will be stored in three places:

1. Remote Repository:

This is a centralized place for storing your code, usually hosted on services like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. They provide centralized code storage and are the foundation for collaboration.

Remote repositories let developers share their changes, sync efforts, and track the project's change history. A remote repository also acts as an integration point for automation processes, like building, testing, and deploying applications.

2. Local Repository:

A local repository is your personal copy of the code stored on your computer. In this repository, you can perform all Git operations (commits, branching, merging) without needing an internet connection.

Local repositories let developers work isolated from teammates, experiment, create new features, or fix bugs before changes are merged and pushed to the remote repository.

3. Working Directory:

The working directory on your computer contains the project's current files you’re working on. This is the place where you can see and modify files, add new functionality, or fix bugs.

After making changes, you can add them to the staging area and then commit them to the local repository. The working directory is tied to the current branch in your repository, and switching branches changes the content of the working directory.

These components collectively provide a robust infrastructure for managing source code, enabling developers to maintain project history, collaborate, and share responsibility for the code.

9.4 GitHub — the most popular free repository

GitHub is the largest web platform for hosting source code, using the Git version control system. Founded in 2008, it quickly became one of the key tools for developers around the world.

GitHub lets users create repositories to manage projects, control and track changes in code, collaborate with other developers, and work on projects either publicly or privately. It offers features like forks, branches, pull requests, and merges, making it easy for developers to work together on projects.

GitHub also includes functionality for issue tracking, feature requests, task management, and wikis for each project. The platform integrates with loads of tools and services, offering extensive functionality for automating development, testing, and deploying apps.

GitHub supports a vast community of developers where best practices in programming, project management, and much more are actively discussed. This makes it not only a tool for project management but also a hub for a community where developers can share knowledge and experiences.

9.5 Signing Up on GitHub

Step 1. Go to https://github.com

Step 2. Sign up.

Step 3. Click the New repository button to create a new repository.

Step 4. Let's set the parameters for the repository:

Repository name.
Public or private. For starters, pick "Public"
Add a README file – we'll need it later.
Click Create repository

Parameters we skipped for now:

.gitignore file. We'll skip this for now. It's useful for excluding specific files from your repository.
License. It defines how others can use and share your work.
Branch main. By default, GitHub uses main as the name of the primary branch in your repository.

Step 4. Here's our first repository

Installing Git on Your PC

This one's easy: click the first Google link, install it, and you're done.

If you're using WebStorm, you don’t need to install git separately. WebStorm will prompt you to install Git during initial setup if it detects that Git isn’t installed on your system.

Installation for Windows

As usual, you need to download the exe file and run it. Get the Git installer from the official site: https://git-scm.com/downloads

Installation for Linux

Typically, git is already installed and included in Linux distributions. To check, open the terminal and type: git --version

Use your distro’s package manager to install Git. For example, on Ubuntu or Debian, you can use the following command:

sudo apt-get install git

Installation on macOS

Same thing here, first check if Git is already installed (see above, like on Linux).