How to Use Git and GitHub for Version Control - Tips and Tricks

Git and GitHub have become quintessential tools for anyone who writes code, be it a beginner or a veteran of the programming world. They play a fundamental role in fostering collaboration, ensuring the version control of the project, and making it easier to draw a development progression.

So, what is Git? Git is a version control system that helps keep track of changes made to files and directories. Each time a modification to the data is made, Git records and stores a snapshot of the files and directories.

How about GitHub? GitHub is a hosting service where Git repositories can be stored. It provides a web-friendly interface to manage repositories, encouraging open-source development and team collaboration.

So, having laid that out let’s dive into the heart of the how-to, breaking down the process of using Git and GitHub for version control.

Step 1 - Installing Git and Setting up GitHub

To begin, you need to install Git on your local machine. Download the correct version for your OS from the official Git website and follow the on-screen instructions.

Next, you need a GitHub account. Simply head to the GitHub website and sign up.

Step 2 - Creating a Repository

A repository (or repo, in short) is like a directory for your project. To create a new repository on GitHub, click on the ‘new repository’ button on your GitHub account page, give it a name and a brief description, then hit 'Create repository'.

Step 3 - Committing Changes in Git

Generally, in Git, saving changes is known as commit. Every commit is like taking a photo of what all your files look like at that moment.

To make a commit, you need to make some changes to your repository. Using the git commit command, you can save these changes:

git commit -m "message describing the changes made"

Step 4 - Pushing Changes to GitHub

By pushing, you send the committed changes to a remote repository. You can do this using the git push command:

git push origin master

Step 5 - Pulling Changes from GitHub

Pulling is like updating your local version with any changes made to the remote repository. The git pull command fetches and merges changes on the remote server to your working directory:

git pull origin master

To bolster this basic knowledge, here are a few tips and tricks to make your experience with Git and GitHub smoother:

View Your Commit History

Use the command: git log, to tabulate all the commits made in that repository along with their details.

Ignoring Files

You may need to ignore certain files or directories, for this just add them to a .gitignore file in the root directory.

Reverting To A Previous Commit

The command git revert [commit] creates a new commit that undoes the changes made in the previous commit.

Using Git and GitHub for version control should no longer intimidate or confuse you. These platforms aid in streamlining coding processes, encouraging collaboration, and simplifying version control. Happy coding!