Introduction to Git: what it is, the advantage, and how to use it

Shakun Grover
5 min readMay 30, 2019

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If you’re in a software development industry, then probably you’ve heard about Git. When it comes on version control, everyone is talking about Git nowadays. But of course, some chatter on the street isn’t enough to justify switching to Git. In simple words, Git is a version control system which enables to record changes which carried out from a set of files over time. If you’re a developer, it assists you to recall particular versions of the code when you need it. Git is an Open Source Distributed Version Control System which is designed for simplicity, speed, fully distributed, integrity and excelled support for parallel development. In the present scenario, most of the IT companies usage Git for controlling their system; it was originally developed as an open source project in 2005 by the founder of Linux Operating System in order to maintain a matured and active working environment.

Git Integrity

The version control system, i.e. Git is formatted to ensure that it will secure and manage the integrity of content that is being version controlled. In companies, it is used for check-sums so as to confirm that specific information isn’t loss while transit or tampered with another file system. Internally, it developers a checksum value from the content of the file and then evaluate it while sending or storing data. In case, as of checksum is differ then there would be corruption in the file, hence hashing algorithm is executed “Secure Hash Algorithm” to scale the hash.

What are the advantages of Git?

1. Performance — Git is a strong and reliable platform in comparison with other versions of the control system. It allows changes in new codes can be easily committed, a merger of version branches effortlessly and optimize codes to perform better. In order to make the full advantage of Git, Algorithms are used with the regards to attributes for creating real source code file trees. Basically, Git emphasis upon the file content itself instead of file names while addressing the file version history and storage.

2. Security — The main purpose of Git is to manage the integrity of source code. It ensures the relationship between a file and commits, directories, tags, version, etc. Are secured cryptographically by using an algorithm known as SHA1. The SHA1 protects the code and alter the history towards malicious and accidental damage. If you have an authentic history of content, you can sure about your source code of Git.

3. Flexibility — The key design goal of Git is to acquire the kind of flexibility which offers support of different types of non-linear workflows development and its efficiency in handling small and large both projects and its protocols as well. Git is uniquely formed with a motive to support tagging and branching operations as well as stored each activity carried by the user an integral part of “Change” history.

4. Wide Acceptance — Git renders performance types, security, flexibility, and functionality as most of developing teams require these aspects to develop their projects. In comparison with VCS, Git is highly acceptable controlling system owing to its universally adaptability and performance standards.

5. Quality Open Source Project — As earlier mentioned that Git is an open source project by having almost 10 years of operational history. Companies who involves maintaining a project are possessed a long term vision and enough matured to meet long term urges of users. For this, it realizes staged upgrades at regular intervals over time in order to improvise functionality and usability too. Furthermore, the competitiveness of an open source software made available on Git is widely scrutinized a countless number of times and businesses, all its rely on Git code quality.

Why use Git in your organization?

a. If your business highly depends on software and IT practices, adoption of Git radically changes the way of how you and your team will deliver work or project. In a business organization, immense processes, likewise — designing, evolution, product management, customer support, marketing, etc. are managed or handled by Git. In addition to this, Git has an intermediate stage, knows as index or staging area in which commits are formatted or altered before completing them. It has distinct branching model which lets you carry multiple local branches that will be independent of each other. Having also enabled to have frictionless discourse.

b. Featured branch workflow — The version controlling software as powerful branching capabilities which allow working in an effective manner. Git enables developers to create a unique branch and each branch functions carry out an isolated environment while changes are carried out in the code base. Along with this, it also ensures that the main branch will always reinforce production-quality code. Hence, rather than being more reliable it would be much easier to edit code in a Git branch instead of editing it.

c. Distributed development — It is over-viewed that Git is a distributed VCS which renders local repository to each developer by having its own history of commitments. Hence, you don’t require a network connection for commits, check differences between them and inspect previous versions of files. Too, it makes easier to measure the team. With the assistance of Git, users can easily add or remove as when required, and at the same time, other members can continue their working with local repositories. In other words, they aren’t depended on whether a new branch is added or closed older one.

d. Pull Request — Git allows developers to call a pull request and ask another developer to merger one of their branches into other’s repository. It not only facilitates for project leaders to scale and track code change but also allows other developers to discuss their work before integrating the code with the code base. Furthermore, if a developer is unable to pause work due to some technical issue, in this case, he or she can initiate put a request to seek guidance from the rest of the team.

e. Community — As above discussed that Git is a powerful and mostly used as well as the acceptable standard version of the controlling system with having a majority of the developer’s community. Hence, the sheer number of users makes it able to resolve issues and seek externally for using online forums.

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Shakun Grover

I am a technology lover. Love about to write technology blogs. An author at volansoft.com