Preamble

Why Do We Use Git? (Or any VCS?) #

Git is a tool we use. Before we even start diving into how it works we should understand what exactly it provides and why we use it

Just for code backup? #

If that’s what you want. Just use ‘cp’ - It’s faster, lighter, and simpler

Just to share code? #

Again there are plenty of ways to share files without Git:

  • Dropbox
  • GCS
  • Email
  • Slack
  • Shared Drives
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Git is a Version Control System #

We use it so we can have full control and history over our code. This means we want things like:

  • Attribution - Who did it?
  • Diffs - What changed?
  • History - When did this change?
  • Metadata - Why (commit messages)?
  • Flow control - Add changes, Revert Changes, Update to latest
  • Conflict Resolution - Annoying, but absolutely essential