Introduction to Git

Introduction to Git

Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes in any set of computer files, usually used for coordinating work among programmers who are collaboratively developing source code during software development.

What is Version Control?

Version control is a system that records changes to a file or set of files over time so that you can recall specific versions later. It allows you to:

• Revert files back to a previous state
• Revert the entire project back to a previous state
• Compare changes over time
• See who last modified something that might be causing a problem
• Who introduced an issue and when

Why Use Git?

• Free and Open Source: Git is free software distributed under the GPL
• Fast and Efficient: Most operations are performed locally
• Branching and Merging: Easy to create branches and merge them
• Distributed: Every developer has a full copy of the repository
• Secure: Uses SHA1 to name and identify objects

Git vs GitHub

Git is a version control system, while GitHub is a hosting service for Git repositories. Think of Git as the tool and GitHub as the place where you store your code.