Git: What is it and Why is it Important?

Git. A thread: pic.twitter.com/5byAQgylfD

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

What is Git, and why is it important?

Git is a distributed version control system that allows developers to:

- collaborate on a project.

- track changes to the code.

- maintain different versions of the code.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

This is important for many reasons.

Some of them are:

- it enables efficient/effective collaboration

- improves code quality and accountability

- helps to manage complex projects.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

What is a repository, and how to create it?

A repository (repo for friends) is a central location in Git where you can store and manage your code files and project assets.

You can initialize the repo using `git init`

Some useful commands to get started: pic.twitter.com/3dNI7io3S9

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

Git is NOT GitHub !!!

Git: distributed version control system for collaborating on projects.
Features:
- CLI
- branching/merging
- conflict resolution

GitHub: web-based platform for Git.
Features:
- GUI
- wikis
- project management features
- forumshttps://t.co/Hb59u5ashE

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

GitHub is NOT the only web-based platform that uses Git for version control.

Several other platforms provide similar functionality, some of which include:
- GitLab
- Bitbucket
- SourceForge
- Gitea
- GitKraken

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

You can use Git to collaborate with other developers on a project in the following ways:

1. Create a shared repository

You can create a shared Git repository on a hosting service like GitHub or GitLab, which all collaborators can access. But you can also make it locally.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

2. Branching

Git allows each dev to work on their own branch of the code without interfering with the work of others.

Once a dev completes their work, they can merge their changes into the main branch.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

3. Pull requests

A pull request is a way to propose changes to the codebase to other developers.

Collaborators can review and comment on the changes and request modifications before merging them into the main branch.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

4. Code review

Git allows for code review, where collaborators can provide feedback on each other's code changes to improve code quality and reduce errors.

This is an essential aspect of making the project a success.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

5. Conflict resolution

Git provides tools for resolving conflicts that arise when multiple developers change the same part of the code.

This ensures that the codebase remains stable and consistent even with multiple contributors.

We'll see an example soon.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

Some common Git commands: pic.twitter.com/SHzQE5uX7j

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

What to do if something goes wrong.

- Identify the problem.
- Undo last commit: `git reset HEAD~1`
- Revert changes: `git revert <commit-hash>`
- Check previous commit: `git checkout <hash>`
- Create a new branch: `git branch <new>`
- List of all actions performed: `git reflog` pic.twitter.com/I6yWTBoQYV

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

What is a conflict in Git?

A conflict in Git occurs when two or more developers change the same part of a file or project.

Here are the steps to solve a conflict:

1. Identify the conflicting files and lines of code

2. `git status` to see the conflicting files

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

3. Open the conflicting file in an editor:
Look for <<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>.

4. Edit the code to resolve the conflict, keeping only the necessary changes/removing the markers.

5. Save the file. Add it to the staging area: `git add <name>`

This is how a conflict looks like pic.twitter.com/xXRLOOMzak

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

6. Commit the changes using git commit

7. Push the changes to the remote repository: `git push`

Below, some final considerations about git conflicts

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

- Conflicts can be complex: resolving them may take time/effort.

- Communicating and coordinating changes is essential to avoid conflicts as much as possible.

- Merge requests and pull requests can help catch conflicts early and streamline the conflict resolution process.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

How to manage different versions for your codebase

To manage different versions of your codebase, you can use Git branches and tags.

Here are the steps: pic.twitter.com/i8tUAKxpDK

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

10 Git best practices

1. Keep commits small and focused on a single task

2. Use clear and descriptive commit messages

3. Write a clear and concise README file to explain the project and its goals

4. Use branches for new features, bug fixes, and experiments

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

5. Merge branches into the main branch frequently

6. Pull changes from the remote repository before making changes locally

7. Use Git's built-in tools for conflict resolution

8. Use tags to mark major releases and milestones

9. Backup the repository regularly

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

10. Use a Git ignore file to exclude unnecessary files from the repository

11. Keep the repository history clean and organized by using Git rebase or squash to clean up small or irrelevant commits.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

GitOps is a methodology for deploying apps to production using Git as the primary interface.

Steps for using GitOps:

1. Create a Git repository for your app code and infrastructure definitions.

2. Define your infrastructure using infrastructure as code tools like Terraform.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

3. Use Git branching to separate development and production environments.

4. Define a pipeline to build, test, and package your application code into a container image.

5. Store the image in a container registry like Docker Hub or Amazon ECR.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

6. Define your production environment using infrastructure as code tools.

7. Use GitOps tools like Flux or ArgoCD to continuously deploy your app to prod

8. Store your deployment config in the Git repo

9. Make your application or infrastructure changes by creating a PR in Git.

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023

10. When the pull request is merged into the main branch, the GitOps tool will automatically deploy the changes to prod.

You can use GitOps to deploy your code to prod in the way:
- reliable
- automated
- auditable

— Francesco (@FrancescoCiull4) April 19, 2023