Git: A Comprehensive Guide to Version Control and Collaboration

1. Introduction
2. How Git Works: A Comprehensive Overview
3. Benefits of Using Git: Streamline Your Development Process
4. Guide 1: Basic Git Commands
5. Guide 2: Sharing a Repository
6. Guide 3: Branching
7. Conclusion

1. Introduction

Welcome to “The Ultimate Guide to Git: Mastering Version Control and Collaboration”. In today’s software development landscape, effective version control and collaborative workflows are essential for successful project management. Git, a distributed version control system, has revolutionized code management and collaboration.

This comprehensive guide will take you from a beginner to a proficient Git user. You’ll learn the fundamental concepts, step-by-step tutorials on Git commands, best practices for branching and merging, working with remote repositories, resolving conflicts, and advanced techniques to optimize your Git workflow. We’ll also cover integrating Git with CI/CD, GUI tools, and comparing Git with other version control systems.

By the end, you’ll have a solid foundation in Git, enabling you to streamline development, collaborate effectively, and ensure codebase integrity. Let’s unlock the power of Git for version control and collaboration!

2. How Git Works: A Comprehensive Overview

Git is a powerful distributed version control system that enables collaborative development on projects without the need for constant central server connectivity. Understanding how Git works is essential for efficient project management and seamless teamwork. In this section, we will explore the fundamental mechanisms behind Git’s operations.

Keyphrases: Git working mechanism, Git workflow, version control system, distributed version control, collaborative development.

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3. Benefits of Using Git: Streamline Your Development Process

Utilizing Git as a version control system offers numerous advantages that can greatly enhance your development workflow. In this section, we will delve into the benefits of using Git and how it can positively impact your project management, collaboration, and codebase maintenance.

Keyphrases: Git benefits, advantages of Git, streamlined development process, version control system benefits.

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4. Guide 1: Basic Git Commands

Firstly, to perform a task or use a particular tool, the first step is to install it At Here

Please select the most suitable version for your device to achieve the best usability.

GIT installation site interface

git init

This command is used to create a Git repository.

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git init
Initialized empty Git responsitory in C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC/.git/

git status

The command “git status” displays a list of changes for files that have been added or committed. In the case below, we can see that no files have been added yet, so the files will be displayed in red. To make it clearer, I will add a file named “USB_CDC.txt” in this folder.

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git status
On branch master
Your branch is up to date with 'origin/master'.

Untracked files:
  (use "git add ..." to include in what will be committed)
        USB_CDC.txt

git add * / git add [file]

Now we will use the command “git add *” to add all files, or if you prefer, you can use “git add [file]” to add a specific file. In the image below, we can see that the file “USB_CDC.txt” has been added.

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git add *

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git status
On branch master
Your branch is up to date with 'origin/master'.

Changes to be committed:
  (use "git restore --staged ..." to unstage)
        new file:   USB_CDC.txt

git commit -m “mes”

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git commit -m "test1"
[master 44313fb] test1
 1 file changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 USB_CDC.txt

Effect: Committing means taking action for Git to save a snapshot of the changes in the working directory. The files and directories that have been modified must be in the Staging Area. Each commit stores the editing history of the code, along with the name and email address of the committer. Additionally, in Git, you can restore files from their commit history and share them with another branch, making it easy to retrieve previous changes. In this context, “mes” stands for message, which you use to note the changes for future reference. Here, we can see a notification that a file has been modified. In this case, the file “USB_CDC.txt” has been added.

git log

The “git log” command provides a list of commits on a branch with relevant information. In this context, a branch refers to an active branch where you make your edits. To clarify further, let me explain more in the Branch section. In the image below, we can see that a commit has been added, displaying the necessary information.

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git log
commit 44313fb588734410adde92d4373c1ac0984ef8ad (HEAD -> master)
Author: Hop Le <[email protected]>
Date:   Thu Jun 29 12:55:49 2023 +0700

    test1

git reset

There are three main modes when using “git reset” to remove commits: Soft Reset: “git reset –soft” allows you to move the HEAD to a specific commit while keeping the changes of that commit in the working directory (unstaged changes). The changes from the commit will not be deleted. Mixed Reset: “git reset –mixed” (default) allows you to move the HEAD to a specific commit and remove the changes of that commit from the working directory. The changes will become unstaged changes, and you can use “git add” to select the changes you want to stage. Hard Reset: “git reset –hard” allows you to move the HEAD to a specific commit and completely delete the changes of that commit. The changes will be lost and cannot be recovered.

5. Guide 2: Sharing a Repository

git remote add origin <remote-url>

The “git remote add” command is used to set up a remote repository (origin) for a local Git repository. The remote repository is typically the location where you want to push and pull your changes. Below, I want to set it up with my email address and name the project “test_git”

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git remote add origin https://gitlab.com/hop26062001/test_git

git push

git push is a commonly used command in Git. A simple push command sends changes to the master branch of the specified remote server repository with a folder. Below, I perform a push of the USB_CDC folder to GitLab using the command “git push -u origin master“

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git push -u origin master
warning: redirecting to https://gitlab.com/hop26062001/test_git.git/
Enumerating objects: 4, done.
Counting objects: 100% (4/4), done.
Delta compression using up to 8 threads
Compressing objects: 100% (2/2), done.
Writing objects: 100% (3/3), 272 bytes | 272.00 KiB/s, done.
Total 3 (delta 1), reused 0 (delta 0), pack-reused 0
To https://gitlab.com/hop26062001/test_git
   8190e0f..44313fb  master -> master
branch 'master' set up to track 'origin/master'.

Below is the GitLab interface when the test_git folder is pushed.

- git pull

Similarly to git push, git pull is used to retrieve data if something has been modified on the GitLab server. Below, after using the git pull command, everything has been updated.

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git pull
warning: redirecting to https://gitlab.com/hop26062001/test_git.git/
Already up to date.

In addition, here are some commands for git push and git pull that you can refer to: Purpose: To push or pull changes to/from a remote repository. If you have added and committed changes and want to push them to the remote repository, or if your remote has been updated and you want to apply all those changes to your code. git pull <:remote:> <:branch:> and git push <:remote:> <:branch:>

git clone <:clone git url:>

git clone: Used to copy a git repository from a remote source. You can obtain the URL of the source as shown in the image below, and then use the command: git clone [email protected]:hop26062001/test_git.git

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git clone [email protected]:hop26062001/test_git.git
Cloning into 'test_git'...
remote: Enumerating objects: 523, done.
remote: Counting objects: 100% (523/523), done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (299/299), done.
remote: Total 523 (delta 191), reused 512 (delta 182), pack-reused 0
Receiving objects: 100% (523/523), 11.26 MiB | 4.52 MiB/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (191/191), done.

6. Guide 3: Branch

In software development, when multiple members are working on a software, either adding new features or fixing bugs simultaneously, it is essential to manage different versions. Therefore, to support version control and the ability to work on multiple features concurrently, Git provides a feature called “branch. A branch is used to diverge and record the flow of history. Once a branch is created, it does not affect other branches, allowing multiple changes to be made simultaneously within the same repository.

git branch <branchname>

This command is used to create a new branch. Let’s try creating a new branch named “test1”: git branch test1. In the image below, we can see that the “test1” branch has been created, but the HEAD pointer is still on the “master” branch.

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git branch test1
C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git branch
* master
  test1

git checkout <branchname>

This command is used to switch between branches. However, it’s important to commit before switching. Now, I will switch to the “test1” branch using the command: git checkout test1

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git checkout test1
Switched to branch ‘test1’
C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git branch
  master
* test1

Tip: If you specify the -b option in the checkout command, you can combine branch creation and checkout in one step: git checkout -b <branch> Let’s give it a try: git checkout -b test2.

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git checkout -b test2
Switched to a new branch ‘test2’
C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git branch
  master
  test1
* test2

Next, let’s move on to the branch deletion command, but keep in mind that when deleting a branch, make sure to move the HEAD pointer to another branch. Below, I will delete the “test2” branch using the command: git branch -d test2

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git checkout test1
Switched to branch ‘test1’
C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git branch -d test2
Deleted branch test2 (was 44313fb).
C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git branch
  master
* test1

git merge <commit>

Merge branch is used to integrate changes made on another branch into the master branch or between branches, depending on the user’s needs. To explain this issue further, as mentioned earlier, we created a new branch called “test1” from the master branch. This means that currently there are no differences between these two branches. If we make changes in the “test1” branch, the “master” branch will not be affected unless the merge command is executed. To understand this better, I will provide a small example below. Currently, I am on the “test1” branch, and I will make changes to the “USB_CDC.text” file as follows:

In the “master” branch at this point, there will be no updates in the “USB_CDC.text” file, and the file will remain empty as before. Next, we will proceed with the branch merge. Note: To bring “test1” into “master,” we first need to move the HEAD pointer to the “master” branch, and in the “test1” branch, we need to commit the previous changes. Then we execute the command: git merge test1.

C:\Users\hop\STM32CubeIDE\workspace_1.11.0\USB_CDC>git merge test1

Updating 8811bfd..3ae689e

Fast-forward

USB_CDC.text | 2 ++

1 file changed, 2 insertion(+)As a result, after opening the “USB_CDC.text” file in the “master” branch, we can see that the file has been updated with the previous changes, similar to those in the “test1” branch

Resolving merge conflicts

Let’s take a small example to understand how to resolve conflicts. First, create a new branch called “test2” and make changes in the “USB_CDC.text” file as follows:

test git
hello world
test2

Similarly, do the same for the new branch “test3”

test git
hello world
test3

Perform “git merge test2” and then “git merge test3.” We encounter a conflict when the third line of both branches differs.

Now, when we open the “USB_CDC.text” file, we see the following:

At this point, we are forced to choose one of the two modifications from the “test2” or “test3” branches. Let’s assume we choose the one from “test2.” The handling will involve editing the “USB_CDC.text” file as follows:

test git
hello world
test2

After that, execute “git add *” and “git commit -m “mes“” to complete the process as usual.

git diff

To display conflicts with the base file, use: git diff –base <file-name>.

To display conflicts between branches about to be merged, use: git diff <source-branch> <target-branch>.

To display the current conflicts, use: git diff

Other Git Commands

In addition to commonly used Git commands, there are several other Git commands that are used for specific cases, depending on the user’s needs:

git rm can be used to remove files from the index and working directory. Usage: git rm USB_CDC.txt

git stash helps you save changes that have not been committed immediately, but temporarily. Usage: git stash

To display information about any Git object, use: git show

git fetch allows the user to download all objects from the remote repository that are not present in the local directory. Usage: git fetch origin

To optimize the repository with garbage collection, cleaning up unnecessary files and optimizing them, use: git gc

The git rebase command is used to apply commits from another branch. For example, usage: git rebase master

7. conclusion

In conclusion, mastering Git is crucial for efficient version control and collaboration in software development. Git’s distributed system revolutionizes code management, enabling seamless teamwork without constant server connectivity. This comprehensive guide covers fundamental concepts, commands, branching, merging, remote repositories, conflict resolution, and optimization techniques. By streamlining development, enhancing collaboration, and ensuring codebase integrity, Git offers numerous benefits. With a solid foundation in Git, you can optimize workflows and unlock the full potential of version control and collaboration in your projects.

We wish you every success in your future endeavors and If you encounter any difficulties or have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Technology

Git: A Comprehensive Guide to Version Control and Collaboration

Thanh Pham

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