As in GitHub - but certainly not limited to just that well known remote repository. Git is a free and open-source distributed version control system (DVCS) designed to manage changes in source code during software development. It allows multiple developers to collaborate on the same project efficiently by tracking modifications, enabling easy reversion to previous versions, and facilitating the merging of different contributions.
Key aspects of Git
- Version Control Git records every change made to a project’s files, creating a history of snapshots (called “commits”). This allows developers to track modifications, see who made what changes, and revert to any previous state of the project.
- Distributed Nature Unlike older centralized version control systems, Git is distributed. This means every developer has a complete, local copy of the entire repository, including its full history. This enables offline work and faster operations as most actions are performed locally.
- Branching and Merging Git offers powerful branching capabilities, allowing developers to create isolated “branches” to work on new features or bug fixes without affecting the main codebase. These branches can then be easily merged back into the main line of development, with Git assisting in resolving any conflicts that may arise.
- Collaboration Git facilitates collaborative development by providing mechanisms to share changes between repositories. Developers can “push” their local commits to a remote repository (like GitHub or GitLab) and “pull” changes made by others, ensuring everyone is working on the most up-to-date version of the project.