Introduction to Git for GitLab Unit 1 - Introduction to Git
Here is a quick overview of what we will learn:
Git basics
viewing the change history
creating and merging branches
working with remote repositories
creating merge requests
resolving conflicts
you need to have Git installed on your computer
check if Git is installed by using this command: git --version
Lesson 3 - Creating a Git repository
a repository is a place that stores something
a Git repository stores files and keeps track of any changes
we want to be able to keep track of all changes, to see who has made them and, if needed, have the possibility to revert to a previous version
to create a new Git repository run this command inside an empty folder:
mkdir my-cool-website
cd people
git init
git init has created a hidden folder called .git which stores the repositoryuse git status to check the current status of the repository
Lesson 4 - Configuring Git
to identify who has made a specific change, we need to configure our name and email
git config --global user.name "FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME"
git config --global user.email "MY_NAME@example.com"
this will help anyone looking at the changes in the repository see who has made them
Lesson 5 - Your first Git commit
a commit is a snapshot of the repository at a point in time
steps to create a commit:
create a new file or modify an existing one
stage the file by running git add <FILE NAME>
commit the file by running git commit -m "Message"
Lesson 6 - Git staging explained
the staging process allows us to select which files we want to commit
to add all changes to a commit you can use git add . or git add --all
Lesson 7 - Unstaging changes
if you wish to unstage a file, you can use the command:
git reset HEAD <FILE>
Lesson 8 - Viewing changes with git log
use the git log command to view a list of changes
use git log --patch for a more detailed history
Lesson 9 - Committing a folder
you cannot commit an empty folder with Git
to have a folder tracked by Git, add an emtpy file called .gitkeep
.gitkeep is just a convention, not a rule.
Lesson 10 - Deleting files
to delete a file it depends if it is tracked or untracked
to delete a file tracked by Git, you need to remove it from the file system and commit this change
Lesson 11 - The .gitignore file
not all files need to be stored in Git but need to be part of the folder used with Git
example for a .gitignore file:
node_modules/
this works only for files that have not been committed already
Lesson 12 - Creating a branch
branching helps you divert from the main development work
branches are often prefixed with feature, bugfix, hotfix etc.
create a new branch with: git checkout -b <BRANCH NAME>
to switch back to master/main run: git checkout master
Lesson 13 - Merging a branch (fast forward)
you have to be inside the branch where you want to have the result of the merge (typically the master/main branch)
the command you use is git merge <BRANCH YOU WISH TO MERGE>
verify the command output says "fast-forward merge"
use git log to view the commits added
Lesson 14 - Merging a branch (recursive)
if you continue making changes in the master branch after the point in time the branch is created, a fast-forward merge is no longer possible.
git merge will try to merge the branches even if they have different parents
Lesson 15 - Rebasing commits
we often try to avoid merge commits to keep the history clean
you run rebase on the branch you want to sync with the master/main branch
git rebase master
Lesson 16 - Resolving merge conflicts
merge conflicts are one of the most annoying things in Git
they are a normal occurrence but they still cause a lot of frustration.
you can abort a merge: git merge --abort
you can get a merge conflict when rebasing as well
I recommend resolving conflicts in VSC or other IDEs.
Lesson 17 - Working with remote repositories
Git is a distributed versioning system
We can have local repositories, but we can also have remote repositories
we often use remote repositories like GitLab, GitHub, Bitbucket to collaborate with others the project, to share changes
GitLab also has an integrated tool called GitLab CI, which allows you to test and deploy software
you need a GitLab.com account which is free to create
create new repo
origin <- alias for the remote repository
setup ssh key
Lesson 18 - Pushing changes to a remote repository
commits are not automatically sent to the remote repository
to push changes use git push
example for pushing the master branch: git push origin master
Lesson 19 - GitLab web interface
GitLab web interface allows you to view the Git repository
you can also:
view the commit history
view files (raw, rendered)
edit files
view different branches
add file, upload files
create a branch
Lesson 20 - Making a commit through the GitLab web interface
you can make changes and commit them through the GitLab interface
click on "Edit" on any file and you can change it
open the WebIDE for a more advanced editor
Lesson 21 - Pulling changes from a remote repository
you can pull changes with git pull
example: git pull origin master
use git pull --rebase to rebase any unpushed commits
pull and rebase often to avoid merge conflicts
short-lived branches work best and reduce complexity, keep them as small as possible
Lesson 22 - Resolving conflicts with remote repositories
if the remote repository contains changes you don't have you cannot push any commits
pulling changes may conflict with your own commits (similar to merging a branch)
Lesson 23 - Rebasing while pulling changes
use git pull --rebase to rebase local changes with remote changes
example: git pull origin master --rebase
Lesson 24 - Cloning a remote repository
cloning refers to the action o creating an exact copy of an existing Git repository
the command is: git clone <REPOSITORY LOCATION>
Lesson 25 - Working with merge requests
a merge request is a way to review and integrate changes into the master branch
spend more time practicing the concepts demonstrated until you get used to them
Hi, This is very much clear and usefull.
Thanks @vdespa
Qamar