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Version Control with Git & GitHub

Git is the industry-standard version control system. Every developer job requires Git. It tracks code changes, enables collaboration, and provides a safety net — you can always revert to a previous version.

15 min•By Priygop Team•Updated 2026

Git Essentials

git init — Initialize a repository in your project folder
git add . — Stage all changes for commit
git commit -m 'message' — Save staged changes with a description
git push — Upload commits to remote (GitHub, GitLab)
git pull — Download latest changes from remote
git branch / git checkout — Create and switch branches for features
.gitignore — List files to exclude: node_modules/, .env, dist/
Pull Request (PR) — Propose changes for review before merging to main branch

Git Workflow Code

// Essential Git commands

// Setup (one time)
// git init                          // start tracking
// git remote add origin <url>       // connect to GitHub

// Daily workflow
// git status                        // what changed?
// git add .                         // stage all changes
// git commit -m "Add login feature" // save snapshot
// git push origin main              // upload to GitHub

// Branching (feature development)
// git branch feature/login          // create branch
// git checkout feature/login        // switch to branch
// git checkout -b feature/signup    // create AND switch

// After feature is done:
// git checkout main                 // switch to main
// git merge feature/login           // merge feature in
// git push origin main              // upload

// Undo mistakes
// git revert HEAD                   // undo last commit (safe)
// git stash                         // temporarily save changes
// git stash pop                     // restore saved changes
// git log --oneline -5              // view last 5 commits

// .gitignore file
// node_modules/
// .env
// dist/
// .DS_Store
// *.log

console.log("Git commands for daily development workflow");
console.log("Learn git: https://learngitbranching.js.org");

Tip

Write descriptive commit messages: 'fix: resolve login redirect loop on expired tokens' is much better than 'fix bug'. Use conventional commits (feat:, fix:, docs:, refactor:) for a clean, searchable history.

Diagram

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Git tracks changes through add → commit → push workflow

Common Mistake

Warning

Committing directly to main/master branch. Always create a feature branch, make changes there, then submit a pull request. This prevents broken code from reaching production and enables code review.

Practice Task

Note

Git workflow: (1) Initialize a repo, create a branch, make 3 commits with good messages. (2) Merge the branch back. (3) Practice resolving a merge conflict. (4) Use git log --oneline to review history.

Quick Quiz

Key Takeaways

Git is the industry-standard version control system.
git init — Initialize a repository in your project folder
git add . — Stage all changes for commit
git commit -m 'message' — Save staged changes with a description

Topics in This Module

Git Essentials

git init — Initialize a repository in your project folder

git add . — Stage all changes for commit

git commit -m 'message' — Save staged changes with a description

git push — Upload commits to remote (GitHub, GitLab)

git pull — Download latest changes from remote

git branch / git checkout — Create and switch branches for features

.gitignore — List files to exclude: node_modules/, .env, dist/

Pull Request (PR) — Propose changes for review before merging to main branch

Git Workflow Code

// Essential Git commands

// Setup (one time)
// git init                          // start tracking
// git remote add origin <url>       // connect to GitHub

// Daily workflow
// git status                        // what changed?
// git add .                         // stage all changes
// git commit -m "Add login feature" // save snapshot
// git push origin main              // upload to GitHub

// Branching (feature development)
// git branch feature/login          // create branch
// git checkout feature/login        // switch to branch
// git checkout -b feature/signup    // create AND switch

// After feature is done:
// git checkout main                 // switch to main
// git merge feature/login           // merge feature in
// git push origin main              // upload

// Undo mistakes
// git revert HEAD                   // undo last commit (safe)
// git stash                         // temporarily save changes
// git stash pop                     // restore saved changes
// git log --oneline -5              // view last 5 commits

// .gitignore file
// node_modules/
// .env
// dist/
// .DS_Store
// *.log

console.log("Git commands for daily development workflow");
console.log("Learn git: https://learngitbranching.js.org");

Tip

Diagram

Loading diagram…

Git tracks changes through add → commit → push workflow

Topics in This Module