Managing Changes in Git Repo | Git tutorial for beginners

 

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Managing Changes in GIT:

Git is a powerful version control system that allows developers to effectively manage changes to their codebase. Understanding how to properly manage changes in Git is essential for efficient collaboration and version control. 

In this guide, we will look into the various aspects of managing changes in Git, including committing changes, branching, merging, and resolving conflicts, along with examples to illustrate each concept.

1. Committing Changes to a Git Repo:

Committing changes is the process of saving changes to a Git repository. It allows developers to create snapshots of their code at different points in time, making it easy to track and revert changes when needed. 

To commit changes, use the following commands:

git add <file>      // Stage changes to be committed
 
git commit -m "Commit message"   // Commit changes with a descriptive message

For example, to commit changes made to a file named index.html, you would use the following commands:

git add index.html
 
git commit -m "Updated index.html with new content"

2. Branching:

Branching in Git allows developers to create separate lines of development, enabling parallel work on different features or bug fixes. It helps in isolating changes and making it easier to collaborate with others. 

To create a new branch, use the following command:

git branch <branch-name>   // Create a new branch

For example, to create a new branch called feature/123, you would use the following command:

git branch feature/123

3. Merging:

Merging is the process of combining changes from one branch into another. It allows developers to integrate changes made in separate branches into a single branch. 

To merge changes, use the following command:

git merge <branch-name>   // Merge changes from <branch-name> into the current branch

For example, to merge changes from the feature/123 branch into the main branch, you would use the following command:

git merge feature/123

4. Resolving Conflicts:

Conflicts may arise when merging changes from different branches if the same lines of code have been modified in both branches. Git provides tools to help resolve conflicts and merge changes successfully. When conflicts occur, Git will mark the conflicting lines in the files. You will need to manually edit the files to resolve the conflicts and then commit the changes.

// After resolving conflicts
 
git add <file>      // Stage resolved changes
 
git commit -m "Merge conflict resolved"   // Commit resolved changes

For example, after resolving conflicts in a file named app.js, you would use the following commands:

git add app.js
 
git commit -m "Merge conflict resolved in app.js"

In conclusion,  Committing changes, branching, merging, and resolving conflicts are fundamental concepts in Git that every developer should be familiar with. By mastering these concepts and using Git's powerful features, you can streamline your workflow and ensure smooth collaboration with your team