So before beginning down ..here is a Defination of Git as per Wikipedia :
Git is a version control system (VCS) for tracking changes
in computer files and coordinating work on those files among multiple people.
It is primarily used for software development, but it can be used to keep track
of changes in any files. As a distributed revision control system it is aimed
at speed, data integrity, and support for distributed, non-linear workflows.
So fast forward ....apart from having local git repositories we have some web based version control systems like Github and Bitbucket
And If you are not a Command Liner Fan you have a nice Set of GUI applications to manage you git from both Github and Bitbucket respectively which are :
Terms to be known with Github
Command Line: The computer program we use to
input Git commands. On a Mac, it’s called Terminal. On a PC, it’s a non-native
program that you download when you download Git for the first time (we’ll do
that in the next section). In both cases, you type text-based commands, known
as prompts, into the screen, instead of using a mouse.
Repository: A directory or storage space where
your projects can live. Sometimes GitHub users shorten this to “repo.” It can
be local to a folder on your computer, or it can be a storage space on GitHub
or another online host. You can keep code files, text files, image files, you name
it, inside a repository.
Version Control: Basically, the purpose Git was
designed to serve. When you have a Microsoft Word file, you either overwrite
every saved file with a new save, or you save multiple versions. With Git, you
don’t have to. It keeps “snapshots” of every point in time in the project’s
history, so you can never lose or overwrite it.
Commit: This is the command that gives Git its
power. When you commit, you are taking a “snapshot” of your repository at that
point in time, giving you a checkpoint to which you can reevaluate or restore
your project to any previous state.
Branch: How do multiple people work on a project
at the same time without Git getting them confused? Usually, they “branch off”
of the main project with their own versions full of changes they themselves
have made. After they’re done, it’s time to “merge” that branch back with the
“master,” the main directory of the project.
Git-Specific Commands
- · git init: Initializes a new Git repository. Until you run this command inside a repository or directory, it’s just a regular folder. Only after you input this does it accept further Git commands.
- · git config: Short for “configure,” this is most useful when you’re setting up Git for the first time.
- · git status: Check the status of your repository. See which files are inside it, which changes still need to be committed, and which branch of the repository you’re currently working on.
- · git add: This does not add new files to your repository. Instead, it brings new files to Git’s attention. After you add files, they’re included in Git’s “snapshots” of the repository.
- · git diff : shows the difference between the working directory and the staging area
- · git commit: Git’s most important command. After you make any sort of change, you input this in order to take a “snapshot” of the repository. Usually it goes git commit -m “Message here.” The -m indicates that the following section of the command should be read as a message.
- · git checkout: Literally allows you to “check out” a repository that you are not currently inside. This is a navigational command that lets you move to the repository you want to check. You can use this command as git checkout master to look at the master branch, or git checkout <name> to look at another branch.
- · git show : to display the latest commit on your brach
- · git checkout HEAD filename : will restore the file in your working directory to look exactly as it did when you last made a commit.
- · git reset HEAD filename : This command resets the file in the staging area to be the same as the HEAD commit. It does not discard file changes from the working directory, it just removes them from the staging area.
- · git reset : This command works by using the first 7 characters of the SHA of a previous commit.
o
git
checkout HEAD filename: Discards changes in the working directory.
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git reset
HEAD filename: Unstages file changes in the staging area.
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git reset
SHA: Can be used to reset to a previous commit in your commit history.
- · git branch: This command will let you build a new branch, or timeline of commits, of changes and file additions that are completely your own. Your title goes after the command
o
git
branch -d branch_name : will delete the specified branch from
your Git project.
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git merge
branch_name: Used to join file changes from one branch to another.
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git merge
branch_name: Used to join file changes from one branch to another.
- · git merge: When you’re done working on a branch, you can merge your changes back to the master branch, which is visible to all collaborators. git merge cats would take all the changes you made to the “cats” branch and add them to the master.
Working in a Team
- · git clone remote_location clone_name : command to clone this remote repository from remote location to your location with the name of your choice
- · git remote -v : to see a list of a Git project's remotes with the command:
- · git fetch: to bring remote changes (remote) to remote branch (local) (no merge)
- · git merge origin/master : to merge remote brach fetch to your own local master brach
- · git push: If you’re working on your local computer, and want your commits to be visible online on GitHub as well, you “push” the changes up to GitHub with this command.
- · git push origin your_branch_name : will push your branch up to the remote
