Git, a version control system for software development, ensures developers can revert back to specific past versions of their work to see records of work completed and allows for streamlined collaboration by permitting changes made by multiple people to be merged into one location.
What Is Git in DevOps?
Git is essential for DevOps due to its version management and revision capabilities necessary for CI/CD pipelines.
Git software is run locally or via online hosts like GitHub or Bitbucket, as well as in cloud environments for enterprise DevOps teams. The location where all files are stored is what is known as a Git repository, which acts as a centrally located place where engineers can upload new changes or download changes others have made, which is essential for DevOps collaboration.
When working on a file, changes are not recorded in Git until making a commit, which is created once an add command is attached to files in a staging environment. Git also allows developers to branch out from the original code base, adding flexibility to the workflow. This allows developers to make immediate changes directly to a master branch while working on other branches over longer periods of time. You can later merge these branches with the master branch, facilitating continuous integration (CI).
What Are the Basic Git Commands?
There are several basic commands that unlock functionality in Git, including git add, git branch, git checkout, git clean and more.
10 Common Git Commands
- git add – moves changes from the working directory into the staging area
- git branch – a general-purpose branch administration tool for creating isolated development environments within a depository
- git checkout – allows the user to navigate existing branches, view old commits and old file revisions
- git clean – remove untracked files from a working directory
- git clone – clones the existing repository
- git commit – commits the current version of the project into the project history
- git config – configures options for a Git installation
- git fetch – downloads a branch and its associated commits and files from another repository without integrating anything into the local repository
- git init – initializes a new Git repository
- git log – provides several formatting options for exploring previous revisions of a project
Are Git and GitHub the Same?
GitHub is utilized as a component of Git and acts as an online repository to store project files and collaborate in a central location.
GitHub repositories help facilitate streamlined collaboration and continuous integration through its superior file storage and collaboration capabilities. Like other online repositories, such as Bitbucket, GitHub presents several advantages over storing files locally.
Storing a copy of a project on an online repository allows devs to upload and download changes from others through a central location, which is a key component of Git operations. Additionally, online repositories allows developers to work on separate branches of a project more efficiently, even allowing them to quickly switch between multiple branches in a project when the need arises.
One of the most useful advantages of an online repository, however, is the ability to view pull requests, or discussions about changes made to a file before they are merged into a codebase. This provides teams with full visibility into project status and potential conflicts at all times, which helps reduce misunderstandings and eliminate mistakes before they are merged into the master branch.
