The course shows how to use Git, the popular open-source version control software, to manage changes to source code and text files. Using a step-by-step approach, author Kevin Skoglund presents the commands that enable efficient code management and reveals the fundamental concepts behind version control systems and the Git architecture. Discover how to track changes to files in a repository, review previous edits, and compare versions of a file; create branches to test new ideas without altering the main project; and merge those changes into the project if they work out. The course begins by demonstrating version control in a single-user, standalone context, before exploring how remote repositories allow users to collaborate on projects effectively.

Topics include:

• Exploring the history of version control
• Installing Git on Mac, Windows, and Linux
• Initializing a repository
• Writing useful commit messages
• Understanding the Git three-tree architecture
• Tracking when files are added, edited, deleted, or moved
• Viewing change sets and comparing versions
• Undoing changes and rolling back to previous versions
• Ignoring changes to select files
• Creating and working with code branches
• Merging branches and resolving merge conflicts
• Stashing changes for later
• Working with hosted repositories and remote branches
• Developing an effective collaboration workflow