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How’s git work? The algorithm behind
6 min readMay 6, 2023
Git is a distributed version control system that is widely used for software development. Git allows multiple developers to work on the same codebase at the same time and keep track of changes made to the codebase over time.
- When you start using Git for a project, you create a repository. This repository is a directory where all the project files and the Git metadata are stored. The Git metadata includes information about the project’s history, such as the commit history, branches, and tags.
- When you make changes to your codebase, you can stage those changes using the
git add
command. Staging a change means that you have told Git that you want to include those changes in your next commit. Once you have staged your changes, you can commit them using thegit commit
command. A commit is a snapshot of the codebase at a particular point in time. Each commit has a unique identifier called a SHA-1 hash. - Git allows you to create multiple branches of your codebase. Branches are like separate lines of development that diverge from the main line of development. This allows you to experiment with new features or fixes without affecting the main codebase. When you are ready to merge your changes back into the main codebase, you can use the
git merge
command. - Git also has features for collaborating with other…